This recipe is inspired by the cakes that would have been eaten on VE Day.  Communities would have saved up their rations and shared them with their neighbours in order that a food-filled celebration could take place.  Though the years following VE Day would mean austerity for all, the street parties that took place on this day were at least for this one day, filled with food, love and laughter.

Eggs had been rationed so much that they couldn’t be used, so I’ve done the same here.  This cake is easily made vegan by replacing the butter with a vegan alternative and plant-based milk is also very easily substituted.  I would suggest oat.

I made a video of the making of this cake which I have included below.  Enjoy.  Make the cake, don't worry that it doesn't look pretty - it's not meant to, just celebrate VE Day and don't forget all those we lost during WWII.

MAKES 1 x 20cm SPONGE
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING & COOLING TIME: 1 hour


INGREDIENTS:

For the sponge:
110g sugar (caster or granulated will work here)
​50g soft unsalted butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
125g gluten free plain flour
15g cornflour
100ml whole milk
½ tbsp apple cider vinegar (or use white wine vinegar if you don’t have cider)
15ml hot water
1 tea bag (I use earl grey, but English Breakfast will work too)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp xanthan gum/psyillium husk

For the icing:
200g icing sugar, sieved (sorry)
Lemon juice (fresh or plastic whichever you have)
Small cup of black Tea (whichever you used in the sponge)


METHOD:

• Preheat the oven to 160/140 fan/gas 3
• Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin
• Make the tea using the 15ml hot water and the tea bag.  Leave to steep for about 5 minutes before squeezing out and disposing of the tea bag and allow to cool.
• Mix the tea into the milk and stir in the vinegar.  Set aside
• Combine together the flour, xanthan and raising agents together in a small bowl
• In a large bowl, beat the sugar and the butter together until they are light and fluffy.  This can be done in a freestanding mixer using the paddle attachment, using a hand-held electric whisk or just using a plain old wooden spoon and some elbow grease!
• Add the vanilla extract, allow to combine, then scrape down the sides of the bowl
• Alternately add dry and wet ingredients into your butter & sugar starting with dry and ending with dry.  Ensure everything is really well mixed.  If using a freestanding mixer, periodically scrape down the sides to help with this.
• Pour your batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean
• Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack
• Whilst the cake is cooling, prepare your icing - you want the cake to still be a little warm when you pour this over
• Mix together the sifted sugar, lemon juice and tea until you have a smooth pouring consistency, a little thicker than double cream.  Add the liquid bit by bit.  You’ll probably need about 2 tbsps in total, and you can use as much or as little of each liquid as you like.  Half and half works best in my opinion, but if you like it more lemony, use more lemon juice!
• Pour and spread this over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides if it wants to.  It doesn’t need to be neat
• Allow the cake to cool completely and the icing to set (think lemon drizzle cake icing) before serving

​

In another post I talked about how exciting it was to have been published in Vintage Life magazine and that I was looking forward to being published again.  The new issue was released on 28th of this month and I was really excited to see my next recipe in print.  Sadly, there was a bit of a mix up with the articles I had provided them with so what you've got in this months magazine isn't quite right...  What you should have got was a red velvet cake.  What you actually got was my orange cake with the red velvet photographs.  Oops!  Hopefully, everything will be rectified for the next issue I'm in (December), but what I thought I would do is give you the orange recipe with the correct photos in this blog.  Hopefully you have gone out and bought the magazine (and I can't thank you enough if you have) so you can still make a delicious gluten-free version of an original 1933 recipe and hopefully, the method gives you enough direction for decorating your finished bake.  I also hope you enjoyed the article itself.  I do love a bit of social and food history!!


Apologies for any confusion caused and I do hope you'll subscribe to the magazine for more of my work.


So, here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

​For the Cake:
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
240g caster sugar
125ml orange juice
Zest from 1 orange
4 eggs
340g gluten free self-raising flour
40g cornflour
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
½ teaspoon course sea salt (if using table salt use a ¼ teaspoon)
125ml milk of your choice, at room temperature

For the Filling:
4 tablespoons cornflour
60ml cold water
250ml orange juice
Juice of half a lemon
160g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter
¼ teaspoon course sea salt (use a pinch if using table salt)

It was great to meet so many people and I hope I managed to answer all of your questions, I am always available to answer any queries you may have about baking or a gluten-free diet in general, so please don't hesitate to drop me an email or contact me via the website or any of my social media pages.  I want to make baking inclusive to everyone, why else do you think I chose the tagline "Let Them All Eat Cake"!?

I am also so excited to confirm that I will be back at Foodies Festival doing more demonstrations which is truly and honour and a thrill.  You can catch me in Newcastle on the 3rd and 4th June.  You can book tickets here if you would like to attend.  Foodies is such a fun day out, it's family friendly and dogs on short leads are welcome too - great for us as we aren't allowed to turn up now without Butch!

A few people have asked me if they could access my recipes on the website, and eventually I promise I will have a recipe section on the site, but for now, if you don't mind, I will share them here on the blog.

The Victoria Sponge was one of the first recipes I mastered before going gluten free and it was super important to me to ensure I created a gluten free version that was as special as the wheaten version that become my speciality.  As a retro girl, the Vicky sponge is incredibly close to my heart as something vintage and also as something that is incredibly versatile, it can be changed up in an instant with various flavours or different toppings, it really is my favourite cake.

​So without further ado, here is my recipe for a gloriously glam gluten-free Victoria Sponge

INGREDIENTS:
For the cake
200g gluten free self raising flour
25g cornflour
225g soft unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
2-4 tbsp whole milk (or milk substitute)


For the jam
150g fresh raspberries
1 tsp caster sugar (use more if you like a sweeter jam)
1 tbs fresh orange juice


For the American buttercream
150g soft unsalted butter
300g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 - 40 ml whole milk (or milk substitute)


METHOD:​

• Preheat the oven to 180c / 160c fan /gas 4
• Start with the jam; put all the ingredients into a small saucepan or frying pan on a medium heat, stir together then leave to bubble and break down stirring occasionally to ensure the raspberries and sugar don't stick to the pan or over caramelise.  After you've cooked them down for about 5-15 minutes (depending on the heat of your pan etc) they should be jammy.  Place into a bowl and allow to cool before use.  If you want to sieve out the seeds, please feel free.
• Next, make the cake.  Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins (I like to use high sided tins as they seem to prevent the cakes from spilling over to one side - especially good if you are using a fan oven) and set to one side
• In a bowl or the bowl of a freestanding mixer add your butter and sugar, cream together using an electric hand whisk or the paddle attachment of the freestanding mixer for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy (almost white in colour).
• Next add your vanilla extract and mix a little to combine
• Add the eggs one at a time with a spoonful of flour in between each egg, ensuring everything is well combined.  This should help to prevent curdling.  Please also ensure that all your ingredients are at room temperature as if anything is too hot or too cold it will prevent the cake from rising.
• Add the rest of the flour and mix to combine.  You may need to scrape down the bowl periodically to ensure everything is fully combined.
• Add milk to loosen if you feel it needs it - it's not always essential, but if you're unsure I would recommend adding just a tablespoon.
• Divide the batter between your two prepared tins and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes until they are coming away from the sides, a cake tester or skewer comes out clean, and they are springy to the touch.  If at any point you are worried they might be catching but not cooked all the way through, place some tin foil over the top and this will prevent them from burning.
• Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream; put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or use a bowl and an electric handwhisk and mix together until they are light and creamy - but beware of the icing sugar cloud, so go slow to begin with then speed up as they start to adhere.  Add in your vanilla extract and loosen with the milk of your choice.  You want a nice spreadable consistency.
• Place one of the layers of sponge topside down onto a plate or cake stand, add half the butter cream and spread out - don't spread all the way to the edges as you will find it seeps out when you add the top layer - then add the jam.
• Place the other layer on top (the right way round), press down slightly, then spread the remaining butter cream on the top.
• Decorate with fresh raspberries.  I also use crystallised rose petals and raspberry powder for a bit of extra glam!

I hope you have a go at this cake and please do give me your comments!  If you have any questions about the recipe, please don't hesitate to ask!