Salted Caramel Victoria Sponge Cake
 
A perfect Victoria sponge cake combined with delicious salted caramel, both in the butter cream and drizzled on top. The ultimate combination.
 
Ingredients
 
250g softened butter
125g golden caster sugar
125g soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large free range eggs (room temperature eggs) 250g self raising flour
For the caramel
250g caster sugar 142ml double cream 50g butter
3 tsp sea salt
For the butter cream
150g butter softened 270g icing sugar
2 tbsp caramel
 
Here’s how:
 
Place the softened butter into a mixer with both sugars and the vanilla. Beat together until light and fluffy. This stage is about getting the sugars and fats to blend together into each other to make one new texture.
Next add the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated into the mixture before you add the next one.
Now you have the correct mixture to be able to carefully fold in the flour to make the perfect cake batter.
Divide the mixture into 2 lined 20cm round cake tins and bake in a pre heated oven 170c for approximate 20 minutes.
To check if your cakes are baked, press the top of the cake gently. If it springs back they are baked. If not, bake for a further 5 minutes and check again.
Leave the cakes to cool before removing from the tins as the cake will shrink a little during the cooling process and it will make life much easier when removing.
While the cakes are cooling make the caramel and buttercream.
Place all the caramel ingredients into a shallow non stick pan on a medium heat and bring up to the boil.
Cook the caramel for 2-3 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved.
Remove from the heat and leave to one side to cool down.
Don’t make the butter cream until you’re caramel has cooled for 20 minutes and both your cakes are cool to the touch.
Blend all the ingredients for the butter cream using a mixer or by hand in a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon.
When the buttercream is nice and fluffy its ready to decorate the cake.
 
Recipe by Peter Sidwell