Mini Victoria Sandwich Cakes

 

Even though I'm not from England I have to admit I'm a fan of the British royal family.  (Especially the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who are favorites of mine!)  I just love the history, traditions and pomp and circumstance that goes hand in hand with the institution.  In honor of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations this weekend I made Mini Victoria Sandwich Cakes, named after the second longest reigning monarch, Queen Victoria.  She was known to enjoy a slice of cake along with her afternoon tea.

 

 

If you've been to England I'm sure you've seen this tempting cake at a tea salon or bakery. It's  comprised of two vanilla cake layers that are "sandwiched" with berry jam and buttercream or whipped heavy cream.   What makes it so appealing to me is its simplicity; there's no need to cover the entire cake with frosting or other embellishments.  In fact, you could say it was the original naked cake.   

 

 

Recipes abound on the internet and you'll have no trouble finding one, e.g., Mary Berry's.  Most call for self-raising flour, widely used in British baking, but I've found that cakes made with self-raising flour can be hit or miss because the type sold in the US isn't exactly the same as those sold in the UK.  Plus, I like being able to control the amount of leavening in a recipe.   

 

Luckily I found Nigella Lawson's Victoria sponge recipe, which used all-purpose flour (aka "plain flour"), cornstarch and baking powder.  Cornstarch was a new ingredient I hadn't seen before and was supposed to make the cake tender and light.  The process to make the batter couldn't be simpler either.  Just throw everything into a food processor and whiz it up for a few minutes until creamy.  

 

To mini-size the cake I used a nonstick cheesecake pan with removable bottoms, which made releasing the cakes super easy.  They did bake up with a bit of a hump on top, but I leveled them off with a serrated knife after they were cooled.  Baker's treat!  The cake gets a 5-star rating from me with it's tender, light crumb and delicious taste.  

 

I sandwiched the mini cakes with some leftover Swiss meringue buttercream that I had thawed from the freezer and homemade raspberry jam.  The smaller cake was the perfect portion and would satisfy anyone's sweet tooth.  All that remained was a light dusting of powdered sugar and a nice cuppa. 

Many congratulations to the Queen for her selfless years of service.  God Save The Queen!

Savoy Cake

Are you a fan of Netflix's The Crown as much as I am?  To say that I'm an enthusiast is a huge understatement.  More like a complete groupie, bar none.  I loved Season 1 and was so excited when Season 2 was released just last month.  Can you say binge-watching...and repeat?  

The further exploration of Queen Elizabeth II's relationship with Prince Philip and Princess Margaret's life were absolutely riveting and I thought the latest ten episodes were outstanding.   Maybe it's because we have no royalty to speak of in America that I'm so fascinated?  And please, Z-list "celebrities" like the Kardashians don't count as royalty!

 

I'm a self-confessed Anglophile and anything with a hit of British or English royalty will undoubtedly capture my fancy.   When Victorian Savoy cakes were featured as the showstopper challenge on the Season 8 quarterfinals of The Great British Bake Off (another favorite Brit show) I knew I had to make it.  What really intrigued me were the cakes' gorgeously intricate details and sugar crust. 

Those who are unfamiliar with Savoy cakes have probably already eaten them.  How? Well, if you've tasted a ladyfinger, then you've had a Savoy.  That's all they really are - a fatless sponge cake.  Because there is no leavener like baking powder or baking soda used in the cake's recipe it's vital that you get lots of volume in to the batter from the whipped egg whites and yolks.  I can't tell you how invaluable a stand mixer is for this job.  I cringe at the thought of having to make a Savoy by hand back in Queen Victoria's day.

For the Savoy's design I turned to my ever growing collection of Nordic Ware Bundt pans.  The pan I chose could not have been more perfect and fittingly named,  The Crown Bundt Pan.  A critical step to success is taking the additional time required to prepare the pan for baking.  A quick spray of Pam will not be sufficient here, people! You have to grease every single nook and cranny of the mold with butter and then generously coat the entire pan in sugar to ensure your baked cake un-molds with that beautiful crust.  Trust me, it's so worth the extra effort!

So as I anxiously await Season 3 of this beloved series (crossing my fingers it will be in Dec'18) I will have to make do with my own makeshift "Crown."  God Save the Queen!

British-Style Scones

Since returning from London a week ago I've made this scone recipe no less than four times.  Yes, it's that good.   But who am I kidding?  While I do love how they taste they're really more of a vehicle for clotted cream and jam.  Yes, I am one of those crazy people who brings back 8 tubs of Rodda's in my checked luggage.   Thank goodness I wasn't stopped by customs!

Unlike the American version, British-style scones are less sweet and more fluffy and biscuit-like.  My favorite dessert after dinner when I was in the UK was having a scone smothered with a heap of clotted cream and jam.  Absolute heaven I tell you. 

This recipe from Cook's Illustrated is as authentic as any scone you'd find in an English tea salon.  They're quite simple to make and the taste will transport you to ol' Blighty, I promise.  Fresh clotted cream may be challenging to find in the States, which is why I bring a supply back with me, but these scones are just as delicious with butter and jam.  Give them a try, you won't regret it!

English Muffins & a Giveaway

I'm a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast.  My trusty standbys range from fresh fruit with Greek yogurt and crunchy granola to Honey Nut Cheerios or hard boiled eggs.  But one of my all time favorites has to be English muffins.   I even have a toaster oven in my cubicle at work specifically for this purpose.  Is there anything better than the smell and taste of a freshly toasted muffin smothered in butter?  I think not.

Recently I received a copy of  "Cook It In Cast Iron" from my friends at Cook's Country.  If ever there was a versatile workhorse in your kitchen it would be a cast-iron skillet.  And the fact that you can buy a fantastic one for under $35 makes it all the more appealing.

Cast iron is renowned for it's heat retention which makes it ideal for frying and searing on the stove top, but did you know it's also great for baking?  Me neither!  As I was browsing through the cookbook I was amazed at the number of bread and biscuit recipes there were but the one that immediately caught my eye was for English muffins.  I'd never dreamed of making this breakfast staple at home but why not give it a try?

Believe me when I tell you I am now a convert to homemade English muffins, especially when they bake up so fluffy, tall and delicious.   Don't be intimidated by this recipe at all because it's really straight forward and easy to follow.  All I can say now is, Thomas' who???

Here's your chance to make them at home yourself.  Two lucky readers will win a free copy of Cook It In Cast Iron from Cook's Country.  All you have to do is leave your email address in the comments section of this post and I'll randomly select two  winners.  Deadline for entry is Fri April 22, 2016.   Only one email per entry.  NOTE: You must have a U.S. mailing address, sorry, no international addresses.  Good Luck!