T
here’s nothing more British than a street party.
Bunting, long tables dressed with colourful
cloths, plates and platters piled high with
sandwiches, sausage rolls and biscuits. And, at
the centre of it all, the crown jewel: a beautiful
Victoria sponge. Next weekend the country
will be throwing the street party of the century
to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, so
I’ve put together my favourite recipes.
I always hear people saying they’re scared
of baking, or that it’s a science, but baking
should be fun and once you’ve mastered a basic sponge
it’s easy. In my baking career, I’ve picked up tips for how
to make sure it turns out light and fluffy every time.
I favour putting all the ingredients in the bowl
together rather than adding them one by one. Mary
Berry does it this way, and if it’s good enough for her,
it’s good enough for me. The most important thing is
to make sure your butter is soft, otherwise you’ll get
lumps in your batter, which means pockets of fat.
If I were baking for the Queen, I’d keep it classic:
a lovely Victoria sponge with strawberries and cream
and maybe a meringue crown. If you like the sound
of that, Your Majesty, you know where to find me.Strawberry,
elderflower and
lemon meringue
Victoria sponge
Serves 10Ingredients
For the strawberry cream- 300g strawberries, hulled
and sliced - 50ml elderflower cordial
mixed with 50ml water - 300ml double cream
For the sponge- 220g self-raising flour
- 220g golden caster sugar
- 220g very soft unsalted
butter - 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 tbsp elderflower cordial
- 7g freeze-dried strawberries
For the Italian meringue- 175g caster sugar
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 small lemon, halved
- 3 egg whites
- Zest of 1 lemon
01 Heat the oven to 160C
(180C non-fan). Grease
2 x 20cm round, loose-
bottomed sandwich tins
and line the bases with
parchment paper.02 Put the strawberries and
diluted elderflower for the
strawberry cream into a bowl,
mix and leave to infuse.03 Put all the ingredients
for the sponge except the
freeze-dried strawberries in
a large mixing bowl and beat
using an electric or hand mixer
until smooth, light and fluffy.
Fold through the freeze-dried
strawberries.04 Divide the mixture between
the two prepared tins and
put in the oven to bake forGet into the jubilee spirit
with three Great British
bakes fit for a Queen
LET ONE
EAT CAKE
20-25 min until golden brown,
springy to the touch and
slightly coming away from the
edges. Once baked, remove
from the oven and carefully
turn out onto a cooling rack
to cool completely.05 Put the double cream in
a large bowl and whip it until
it’s just thick and holds soft
peaks. Drain the strawberries,
reserving the juice, and fold
them through the cream.06 Now make the meringue.
In a saucepan, add the sugar
and 4 tablespoons of water.
Over a medium heat, swirl until
the sugar has dissolved. Then
turn up the heat and, using a
thermometer, wait until the
sugary water reads 120C.
Remove the pan from the heat.07 Wipe a large mixing bowl
and the whisk attachments with
the lemon. Add the egg whites
and whisk at a medium speed
until you get fluffy firm peaks.
Keep the whisk on and slowly
pour in the hot sugar syrup
from the edge of the bowl.
Continue whisking for a further
3-4 min until the mix is thick,
glossy and stiff, and the bowl
has cooled slightly, then fold
through the lemon zest.08 Place one sponge upside
down on a plate and pile the
strawberry cream into the
middle, leaving an inch around
the edge. Then place the
second sponge carefully on
top. Gently push down so it’s
level. Drizzle the remaining
strawberry and elderflower
juice over the top.09 Using a palette knife,
spoon the meringue on top
of the sponge, smoothing it
until the whole top is covered.
Use a spatula to make little
spikes, then blowtorch them
until golden brown.CANDICE
BROWN
42 • The Sunday Times Magazine