This recipe is very similar to the Perfect Fairy Cake recipe, but this time I actually took the time to weigh each ingredient, and lemme tell ya, that made all the difference! I know; who knew, right? The recipe comes from the back of my bag of caster sugar, Whitworths brand.
The Recipe
INGREDIENTS
175g Butter, Softened
175g Whitworths Caster Sugar
3 Eggs, Beaten
Vanilla Essence
175g Self Raising Flour
150ml Double Cream, Whipped
45ml (3 tbsp) Jam
Whitworths Caster Sugar to decorate
METHOD
1. Grease and line 2 x 20cm (8″) round sandwich tins.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, followed by a few drops of vanilla essence.
3. Fold in the flour. Divide the mixture between the prepared cake tins, smooth the top and bake in a preheated oven 190C/380F/Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes until golden, well risen and firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack.
4. When cooled, sandwich the cakes together with the whipped cream and jam. Dredge the top with Whitworths Caster Sugar to decorate.
My Alterations
I stuck as closely to this recipe as possible, in light of my dismal failure with the fairy cakes. The only real changes were that I didn’t bother to whip the cream (too lazy) and I used my sifter to sprinkle icing sugar on the top of the cake, not caster sugar (finely granulated sugar). Who sprinkles caster sugar on a cake to decorate it, I ask you? That would look weird.
The Results
This is a very simple, pleasing cake. It is a classic English cake (the name of it didn’t give that one away or anything!), and rightly so. This recipe worked fine, and my husband couldn’t keep his mitts off of it.
The cake itself is rather small and light-weight, so it’s not going to be a substantial dessert. It works well as part of a buffet spread or alongside some ice cream or something. This is the kind of cake that everybody likes, but it doesn’t have much oomph or pizazz.
The Verdict
Easy to whip up, pleasant taste and texture, classic recipe. This is definitely a keeper.
The Rating
4/5
A very dependable cake that will please the crowds. Ours didn’t last long!
