The Caravan Trail

A Victoria sponge cake (or Victoria Sandwich) is a tea time classic and is one of my favourite cakes; the recipe has royal provenance with the original recipe being attributed to Queen Victoria and her love for a “plain sponge cake”. The stalwart of all WI Cake tents, as well as being a popular base recipe for birthday cakes, today’s recipe for Duck Egg Victoria Sponge Cake is based on a classic Victoria sandwich, but is made with duck eggs instead of the usual hen’s eggs. The duck eggs add an extra richness and golden colour to this cake, and it also rises to the occasion, with the cake being a very large and fluffy version of the traditional Victoria sandwich.

I made this cake a week ago, to take to a friend’s house as my contribution for a dinner invite; the filling was my lovely homemade Pink Gooseberry and Elderflower Jam and is the perfect combination, counteracting and enhancing the richness of the duck eggs in the cake. My cake might not pass muster in the WI Cake tent, as unfortunately I made the cardinal error of allowing the cake to cool top side down, so the top of the cake has the wire cooling rack marks on it, ooooops, but, never mind that, it tasted divine and was light and fluffy with an even crumb. A final dusting of caster sugar completes the picture and all that is needed is a cup of tea to accompany a slice or two.

Today’s Duck Egg Victoria Sponge Cake is served on a selection of my lovely The Caravan Trail flatware, with the tea being made in and served in one of the collections’s teapots and mugs. I mixed all the patterns up, using a selection from the Dorset Day Trip range, and as you can see, all the patterns and colours look wonderful together. I particularly love the colours and patterns in the range, which are based on summer fruits and a day trip to the seaside on the southern coast of England. You can see the full range of all The Caravan Trail crockery here: The Caravan Trail. And, for all my other recipes that I have created in collaboration with The Caravan Trail, you can see them all here: Lavender and Lovage Caravan Trail Recipes.

Disclaimer: I receive samples regularly from The Caravan Trail free of charge, in exchange for recipe development and promotion on my social media channels. All views and opinions are my own and I choose to share this china on Lavender and Lovage, as it is a unique British designed (and British made in certain cases) company based in Staffordshire. I was not compensated financially for this recipe post. Pieces from the range can be bought here: Buy the The Caravan Trail

Duck Egg Victoria Sponge Cake

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Serves	12 slices
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	25 minutes
Total time	40 minutes
Allergy	Egg, Milk, Wheat
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Dessert, Snack
Misc	Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion	Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Valentines day
Region	British
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

This light, golden sponge cake is made with duck eggs for a rich, light and fluffy taste and texture, and all that is needed is a filling of jam, and a dusting of caster sugar to finish the cake before serving.

Ingredients

• 4 duck eggs, weighed in their shells
• caster sugar, the same weight as the duck eggs (plus extra for the top)
• butter, the same weight as the duck eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• self raising flour, the same weight as the duck eggs
• jam, for filling

Note

This light, golden sponge cake is made with duck eggs for a rich, light and fluffy taste and texture, and all that is needed is a filling of jam, and a dusting of caster sugar to finish the cake before serving.

Directions

Step 1	Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4. Grease and line 2 x 20cms (8") cake tins with baking paper.
Step 2	Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until light in colour, light and fluffy.
Step 3	Beat in the eggs one at a time and then fold in the flour until it is all incorporated. If the mixture is a little stiff, then add a tablespoon or two of milk so it is a dropping consistency.
Step 4	Divide the mixture between the two tins, spreading to level the tops of the cake mixture.
Step 5	Bake in pre-heated oven, swapping the cakes over half way through baking if they are on different shelves; bake for about 25 minutes or until the cakes are well risen and golden brown.
Step 6	Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning them out on a rack to cool completely.
Step 7	When the cakes are cold, sandwich them together with jam of your choice - I used pink gooseberry and elderflower jam - then place the cake on a serving platter.
Step 8	Dust the top of the cake with caster sugar and cut into wedges to serve.
Step 9	NB: Sponge cakes can be frozen once cooled and before the jam is added.

Pink Gooseberry and Elderflower Jam

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Serves	makes 2.25kg (5lbs)
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	10 minutes
Total time	30 minutes
Dietary	Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type	Breakfast, Condiment
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable
Region	British
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

This beautiful rosy red jam is made with pink gooseberries and elderflower cordial; it is fabulous when served on toast, croissants, muffins and crumpets and is also the perfect jam to add to baking and cakes. You can also add a dollop to your morning pot of yoghurt.

Ingredients

• 1kg pink gooseberries (2 1/4 lbs)
• 300ml water (1/2 pint)
• 150ml elderflower cordial (1/4 pint)
• 1.3kg sugar (2lbs 12ozs)

Note

This beautiful rosy red jam is made with pink gooseberries and elderflower cordial; it is fabulous when served on toast, croissants, muffins and crumpets and is also the perfect jam to add to baking and cakes. You can also add a dollop to your morning pot of yoghurt.

NB: Testing for set notes taken from First Preserves by Vivien Lloyd

Directions

Step 1	Top and tail the gooseberries and place them in a preserving pan with the water and elderflower cordial. Bring them to the boil and then turn down the heat and simmer gently for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the gooseberries are soft and have broken down.
Step 2	Meanwhile, warm the sugar in a low oven.
Step 3	Remove the sugar from the oven and place the clean jam jars in the oven to warm - you can now turn the oven off. Leave the jam jars in the oven until needed.
Step 4	Add the sugar to the gooseberries in the preserving pan and stir until dissolved. Bring the jam to a rapid rolling boil and boil hard until setting point has been reached.
Step 5	Test for a set after 5 minutes, using the flake test, a cold saucer or the thermometer. Remove the pan from heat once setting point has been reached and allow to stand for a few minutes. Remove any scum from the surface with a metal spoon.
Step 6	Gently stir the jam and pour or spoon through a funnel into the warm jam jars, filling the jam up to the brim of the jars. Seal the jars immediately with clean screw top lids, or with waxed discs and cellophane covers held in place with an elastic band.
Step 7	Setting points: Flake test - dip a large spoon into the pan of jam and scoop out a spoonful - hold the spoon horizontally over the pan of jam and allow the jam to drip......setting point has been reached when the jam forms a long drip, like webbed feet, and hangs without dropping from the spoon. Cold saucer test - place two or three saucers into the freezer; spoon a spoonful of jam onto the cold saucer, and push it with your finger - setting point has been reached when the jam wrinkles and sets. Temperature test - use a sugar thermometer and place the thermometer into a jug of boiling water just before testing for a set; lower the thermometer into the jam and setting point has been reached when the reading is 104.5C (220F).