Coconut Vicky Sponge with Cream & Strawberry Jam

Hi BBC2 here I hope you are all well. When we lived in London we would visit our families and our mothers would always cook for both of us and I could tell you some stories about that but that’s not the point (well maybe another time). Anyway BBC1’s mum would always bake her “little solider” a coconut sponge, so when we moved to the Cornwall I had a go at making this for him and some ten years later he tells me he likes it! So here is my twist on a Victoria sponge, it works every time so have a go and as always please do let us know what you think.

Ingredients:
110g /4oz self-raising flour sifted
110g /4oz caster sugar
110g/ 4oz butter or margarine at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons desiccated coconut
2-3 drops vanilla extract
300mls double cream
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
Icing sugar

Method:
Preheat oven 160c Fan and lightly grease two 18cm/7 inch sponge tins and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.

In a bowl cream the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until they go pale and you have fluffy mixture that drops off the spoon. Now add one egg and beat until it is incorporated completely (you can use an electric hand whisk), then add the other egg. It is important not to add the second egg until the first egg is fully incorporated otherwise the mixture will split, when the second egg has been incorporated add a few drops of vanilla extract and mix, then add the flour and baking powder and incorporate it together. You should have a mixture that that just drops of the spoon, if you don’t then just add a few drops of water but be careful and add just a little at a time to make the mixture loose, now add the desiccated coconut and mix.

Divide the mixture between both tins and even the mixture over the surface of each tin ensuring that the mixture meets the edge; place both tins on the same shelf of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. When done, a skewer should in the centre should come out clean, place the sponges still in their tins on a wire rack for 30 seconds to a minute then run a pallet knife around the outside edge of the tin to loosen them, now turn them out of the tin and remove the greaseproof paper place the sponge back on the rack to cool.

When the sponges are cool it is time to make the filling. Place the cream in a bowl and whisk until it starts to thicken but still runs off the whisk, now sift 1 ½ teaspoons of icing sugar into the cream and whisk it in but be careful not to over mix it and make the cream to stiff as you have added icing sugar which is a thickening agent and what you want is a light fluffy Chantilly cream filling.

Now assemble your cake, I pick the best looking sponge for the top so take the bottom sponge and cover the top with a good layer of strawberry jam, then spoon on the cream at this point you should be looking to keep the air in your cream so be gentle but ensure it’s even, now place the other sponge on top and dust with icing sugar.

Once you have made this cake you will find it easier each time you make until, like me, you can have a fresh coconut sponge cake on the table within an hour or so when people just turn up. As all the ingredients will be in your store cupboards. So please try this as children both young and old love it! As always folks please do let us know what you think.

BBC1: This cake is a total childhood favourite of mine, as my 92 year old mum would always make this especially for me. I thought it was one of the most romantic and wonderful things when BBC2 first made this for me when we moved to Cornwall, and I must say he has perfected this to a fine art. I adore it❤️💋❤️💋❤️!