Victoria Sandwich
Recipe
for serving : good quality raspberry or apricot jam
butter cream or whipped double cream
For an outdoor party butter cream is safer
Method:
Take the eggs and fat out of the fridge for at least an hour before you make the cake
Heat the oven ,350 F,180C,Gas4
Line the base of 2 x 8inch sandwich tins with silicon paper
Put all the cake ingredients in to a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer or Kenwood K beater to beat everything to a soft creamy consistency that will drop off a spoon easily.
Divide between the 2 tins
Bake the cakes for 25 minutes
When the cakes are light golden and firm to touch take them out a cool for a few minutes on a wire rack
Run a blunt ended knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen them and turn out onto the rack, avoiding wire marks on the upper cake by turning it onto a tea towel first ,( this is not essential)
When the cakes are completely cool assemble the cake on a plate with cream and jam.
Finish with a dusting of caster sugar
Butter Cream
3 oz butter
6 oz icing sugar
1 drop vanilla essence
1 tablespoon milk
Method
Put all the ingredients into a medium sized bowl and beat well until all the ingredients are blended and creamy, use as wanted.
The Royal Family have continued the practice of holding tea parties in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.If you are lucky enough get invited this is a wonderful excuse for ladies to buy a lovely hat and for gentlemen to wear morning dress.
Battenburg Cake is another Victorian favourite believed to have been made in honour of the wedding of Queen Victoria's granddaughter to Prince Louis of Battenburg in 1884.
Battenburg Cake
This is essentially a Victoria Sandwich mixture divided in 2, one half is coloured pink with some food colouring and the 2 halves cooked in a an oblong cake tin with a thick fold of non-stick aluminium foil to divide the mixtures.When the cakes are cool cut and arrange the colours as shown using warm apricot jam to glue them in position them cover the whole thing in an oblong of rolled out marzipan large enough the wrap around the cake with the seam underneath.
This cake can be time consuming and tricky, there are many good commercial ones on the market, Marks and Spencer's version is a nice one.
The name Battenburg later became changed by the family to Mountbatten as they thought it sounded too German after 2 wars had been fought with Germany.
Prince Philip , husband to Queen Elizabeth 2nd is a member of this family .
The Duke of Cambridge (1819-1904) and his tart
The Duke of Cambridge was a grandson of George 3rd.He joined the army at the age of 9 years and remained a professional soldier for most of his life.He was a florid man with a huge moustache and after Prince Albert's death often stood in to escort Queen Victoria and help her entertain foreign dignitaries.The title of Duke of Cambridge has now been given to Prince William and his bride Kate Middleton is now the Duchess of Cambridge.
Duke of Cambridge Tart
Recipe
4-6oz shortcrust or sweet pastry-
(Supermarkets like Sainsbury, Tesco, Waitrose sell good ready to use pastry)
Filling
3 oz butter
3 oz sugar
4 oz raisins (or chopped candied mixed peel)
2 os chopped glace cherries
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons rum or brandy
grated lemon rind
Method
Pre heat the oven 190C or Gas5, 375F
Line a flan ring or pie dish with the pastry.Leave in a cool place while you make the filling
Put the raisins/peel into a small pan with enough water to cover. Bring to the boil then drain.Cool them
Put the raisins, cherries and lemon rind into the pastry case
Melt the butter and sugar in a small pan, bring to the boil
Remove from the heat and beat in the egg yolks and brandy
Pour over the raisins and cherries
Bake in the pre heated oven until the pastry is brown and the filling golden, about 25-30 mins
Serve warm or cool with cream or icecream
Note
This recipe can be made into individual small tarts.
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