Mobile tearoom Room Forty shares the secret of its Victoria sponge to celebrate National Afternoon Tea Week

IT’s national Afternoon Tea Week from August 8-14, with genteel tea, sandwich and cake celebrations taking place around the UK.

Afternoon Tea Week is a celebration of one of the nation’s favourite traditions. Whether enjoyed in a 5 star hotel, or as a home baked treat, the British love the combination of savoury and sweet treats, accompanied by some of the 165 million cups of tea we drink each day in the UK.

Room Forty, based in Warrington, offers a 1930s style freshly baked afternoon tea delivered to your home, party or workplace served on vintage china.

Jen Perry, owner of Room Forty, said: “Afternoon tea is hugely popular at the moment, which would make you think that it is a new, trendy fad. Truth is, it’s been going since around 1840 and has always been popular.

“We’ve taken afternoon tea back to its roots, back to being served in the home, venue, or at a business.”

Room Forty’s Classic Victoria Sponge

Ingredients:

200g self raising flour

200g caster sugar

200g baking margarine (controversial, but it does bake a better sponge!)

4 x medium free range eggs

1 x tsp baking powder

TIP: just weigh the eggs first and then use the same weight of the eggs for the butter, sugar and flour.

For the filling

Jar raspberry or strawberry jam

180ml double cream

Icing sugar to dust the top

Equipment

1 x large mixing bowl, 2 x 20cm cake tins, Spatula, 1 x medium mixing bowl, 1 x whisk

Instructions:

Grease your cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.

Turn your oven on to 180 degrees/160 degrees fan

In the mixing bowl beat together the sugar and baking margarine until pale and fluffy (you can use a mixer for this if it is easier), then slowly beat in the eggs one at a time. Should they start to curdle add a tablespoon of the flour which will stabilise it.

Then sift into the mixture the baking powder and flour and fold into the mix until combined (I find a spatula better than a large spoon for this.

Divide the mix equally into the two tins and smooth over the tops with the spatula.

Before putting in the oven, tap the tins on the work surface as this will break the larger air bubbles then put into the centre of the oven for about 18-20 minutes.

The cakes are ready when are golden on top, they feel spongy on top to the touch and a skewer or cocktail stick inserted into them comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the tins for about five minutes on a cooling rack (or, if you don’t have one use the grill rack from the oven placed on a work top).

Then take a sharp knife and gently run it around the tin to help release the cakes and allow them to cool completely. Then carefully remove the cakes from the tins.

Whilst waiting for them to cool pour the double cream into the clean medium mixing bowl and whip with your whisk. It is always best done by hand as you can feel when the double cream ‘turns’ into whipped cream easier than using a mixer.

If you do overbeat the cream and it becomes too stiff you can loosen it by adding a tablespoon of milk and lightly beating in. The cream should just have a soft peak consistency.

When completely cool, select which of your cakes will be the top (the one with the best dome) and set it aside.

Take the base layer and slice off any ‘dome’ it may have to flatten it (you can eat this later!)

Then spread on your jam (it will take about half a jar) then spread on the whipped cream. Sit the second cake onto the top, dust with icing sugar and put onto a nice serving plate.

Put the kettle on, pull out your best china, invite your best friends and enjoy!