Hello and welcome to my blog! Today, I am excited to share some sweet springtime ideas with all of you. I would love for you to join me, and my family, as we make an amazing Victoria Sponge cake (inspired by my time in Australia and in England). I will also be sharing our English inspired garden table.
This table is extra special as my husband’s hands- and creative mind- made it. I helped to create the tabletop by staging it with some of my homemade bakes and thrifted finds. Our children had the best job- sampling the homemade treats and providing valuable feedback. We are a family team you see, and we often help each other with fun creative projects.
Please join us as we celebrate springtime in America and enjoy a slice of Victoria Sponge and a “cuppa” tea. Pull up a chair and stay for a while. (While you are here, don’t forget to checkout my post featuring more springtime inspirations here).
~How My Travels to Australia and England Inspired My Spring Bakes~
When I was eighteen years old, I took a “gap year” before starting college, and I lived with my aunt and uncle in Australia. This was my second time out of America. Straight off the airplane, I remember taking note of all the differences, as well as the things that were similar to what I knew. I suppose it is a natural response your brain has when trying to connect with a new environment.
One of the first things I noticed (aside from the cars being on the opposite side of the road- and the drivers on the opposite side of the car), was just how different the plants and trees looked compared to the American varieties I was so accustomed to. I also remember thinking that if you put a blind fold on me and plopped me in any other country, I would know I was somewhere new based solely on what the native foliage looked like.
Of course, there were more obvious differences to behold. Things like the architecture, the layout of the cities and towns, the paper money, and the grocery store products. To name but a few. I mention the grocery store products because for some reason I always enjoy going into grocery stores. Especially grocery stores in other countries. There is just something special about seeing the myriad of unique, new products that line the shelves! Okay, you caught me- I am a grocery store nerd.
~Australian Food and Culture~
The Australian, white, cheddar cheese-the crackers and bakery breads- the cakes- the chocolate- the biscuits (cookies)- the hot tea with milk and sugar, all were so delicious and different to my American examples. Australian bakeries and coffee shops were also a pleasure to pop in, have a seat, and enjoy some of the most delicious baked treats.
Aside from visiting the bakeries and grocery stores, my aunt and I enjoyed going into the local secondhand shops. It was both interesting and educational to see the different- previously loved- items that were for sale in Australia. Little did I know, that almost eleven years later, I was about to acclimate to another country (that was similar to Australia in many ways).
(Just a little re-cap on my story: I am an American, and my husband is an Englishman. When we married, I moved over to England and lived there for a little over two years. You can read more about that here🙂 Cue the paragraph about the food and culture of England.
~How My Time in England Inspired My Baking~
The English cheeses, the crackers and bakery breads, the cakes, the chocolate, the biscuits (cookies), the hot tea with milk and sugar were all akin to the Australian varieties I had enjoyed before. I was thrilled to experience similar delicacies in England again.
England, like Australia, is a beautiful country full of history and charm.
One of my favorite activities, that combined both eating and thrifting, was strolling through the villages and window shopping.
In England, Craig and I would stop in at the local charity shops (similar to our thrift stores). After a mooch about, we would go into the adorable, quaint bakeries and coffee shops.
I loved looking at the baked treats behind the glass display cases. In fact, I am getting hungry now just thinking about them…
~English Cakes~
England has beautiful cakes to be purchased by the slice with a cuppa tea or a coffee. One (new to me) cake that England is famous for is the Victoria Sponge. It is a light and fluffy layer cake with a cream and jam filling- sandwiched in the middle.
I found a lot of cakes and baked treats in England are filled with jam-and I thought this was a delicious, ingenious idea. The idea of filling baked goods with jam has been something I have tried to incorporate into our kitchen treats. (I will be posting more jam-filled recipes in future posts).
I always say that I am trying to give a “nod to England,” when I try to bring the English ideas and culinary creations into our American kitchen.
~Enter, the Classic Victoria Sponge: ~
Victoria sponge is a cake that can be enjoyed in any season, but I think it is especially fitting for a spring or summer treat.
I wanted to celebrate spring with my family by making a Victoria sponge cake. It reminds me of an idyllic, lazy Saturday in England- where the day is best enjoyed with a slice of fresh cake and a “cuppa” or a coffee.
If you enjoy baking, you may like to bake a weekend cake to share with an unexpected visitor. If this surprise should arise, there is no need to be caught off guard-as you would have a slice of cake to offer them.
I like to store our Victoria sponge cake on a thrifted glass cake cloche, but I like to display it on a tiered cake stand that belonged to my grandmother. I think the glassware looks beautiful and inviting on the dining table and encourages family and friends to have a seat and stay for a while.
When I bake a Victoria sponge, I like to use raspberry jam, but I enjoy strawberry jam as a close second. I also make a buttercream to go inside the sandwich, but some recipes use whipped cream. You can garnish with powdered sugar (icing sugar in England), and a few strawberries or fresh raspberries.
I also made some muffins and purchased some English biscuits (cookies) to have on our tiered tea server. These treats were to accommodate our little ones who prefer finger food treats. (To see more ideas on English biscuits click here🙂
~How to Make a Classic Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe: ~
Victoria Sponge Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Butter and line two cake pans (8 inches). Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- To a medium sized mixing bowl, add the flour and the baking powder. Stir together.
- Using a stand mixer (or handheld electric mixer), cream the softened butter and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs (one at a time)- mixing after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mix. Mix until combined (using a rubber spatula to "push" all the sides down into the batter).
- Separate the cake mixture evenly into the two cake pans.
- Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes (or until the cake tops are golden brown and bounce back to the touch. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.) Allow the cakes to fully cool.
- Add the buttercream icing (*see recipe in my notes) and the jam to the center of the two layers. *Creating a "sandwich effect" – with the two cake layers on top and bottom and the cream and jam in the middle.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with powdered sugar and enjoy alongside a cup of hot tea.
Notes
- 4 Tablespoons of Salted Butter (softened)
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
~Preparing the Victoria Sponge Cake in my American Kitchen~
Before I begin any recipe, I review my recipe and set out my ingredients. Personally, I find ingredients lovely. They paint a picture of what is yet to be.
~How to Create An English Inspired Tablescape~
Seeing as this Victoria sponge cake was made as a celebration of Spring, my husband and I decided that we would set the tablescape outside in our backyard. Taking a table int the great outdoors is a lovely way to create an English inspired tablescape.
The table you see was skillfully made by my husband, Craig, in the style of the refractory tables seen in many old English homes.
By displaying the table and cake outdoors it gives the atmosphere of an English pub garden (see an English pub drink that would be a lovely addition to an outdoor table setting here). I was able to incorporate my thrifted candlesticks, and a few other treasures, to top the handmade table
~How The English Pub Also Inspired my Baking Recipes~
The English pub is often a restaurant as well as a place to sit in a lovely garden and have a refreshing drink with the whole family around.
So we thought-if we can’t go into an English pub currently to celebrate spring- we might as well bring the English -inspired table and Victoria sponge cake into our own garden space.
Plus, if you ever want to entertain, but do not have time to clean the house, no one has to go indoors. Now that is a win-win for a mom with four young children. More specifically four children who love to dump out baskets of toys and make a seemingly, endless amount of clutter and mess! (But that—well, that is “a whole ‘nother” blog post.)
~Until Next Time~
I hope you all enjoyed seeing another way that my family and I celebrate Springtime and England in America. A garden table spread with English desserts and teatime cakes (such as the classic Victoria Sponge) is a thing of beauty, indeed. If given the opportunity to sample a lovely Victoria sponge cake…do! For, I sincerely doubt you would be disappointed.
Tune in again soon for more English inspired baking and living!
Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog and check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for more ideas and inspirations. Also, for more English recipe ideas- check out my ultimate guide to traditional English recipes here.
See you all very soon!
~Elizabeth~