Sil's Victoria Sponge filled with lemon curd and passionfruit icing

Silvana Griffin

SPONGE

Ingredients  

250g unsalted butter, softened + extra for greasing pans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

4 eggs

⅓ cup (80ml) milk

275g self raising flour + extra for flouring pans

25g cornflour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

To serve: lemon curd, passionfruit icing and freshly whipped thick cream

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C (or 160°C fan forced), butter and dust with flour 2 x deep 20cm round tins

Combine and sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt 3-4 times and set aside.

Beat butter, extract and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy, around 5 mins.

Beat in eggs one at a time.

Stir in a third of the sifted flour mixture, then half the milk, follow with another third of the flour, the rest of the milk, then finally the last of the flour; stir until mixture is smooth.

Divide mixture evenly between pans, bake about 30 minutes.

Turn cakes out, tops up, onto wire racks covered with a clean tea towel.

Cool cakes completely before filling

To serve: sandwich cakes with lemon curd and cream, then pour passionfruit icing over the top

LEMON CURD

Ingredients  

100ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

150gm caster sugar

100gm unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 level tspn cornflour

Method

Combine all ingredients together in small saucepan and stir well

Place onto low heat and continue stirring all the while until mixture heats through and begins to thicken – do not let it bubble or boil!

Take off the heat and strain through a sieve into a bowl

Closely cover the surface of the curd with cling wrap and pop into the fridge until cold (keeps for a week)

PASSIONFRUIT ICING

Ingredients  

2 cups icing sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons soft butter

Pulp of 2-3 passionfruit

Method

Combine sugar, butter and passionfruit pulp in a saucepan and stir over low heat until a smooth consistency

Cool slightly and pour over sponge