Victoria Sponge Cake with Strawberries

We wanted a light dessert to go with our Easter lunch, so I found this recipe for a class Victoria sponge cake in Jamie Oliver's cookbook, Cook with Jamie. It was a delightful treat. We enjoyed it very much. I hope you will, too.

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
2 cups self-rising flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs superfine sugar
4 large eggs
zest of 1 lemon

Sliced strawberries
Freshly whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of two 8-inch sandwich cake pans (or 1 springform pan) with butter and dust with flour.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each one in well before you add the next, then fold in the flour or the lemon zest. (I used 1 tbs vanilla instead of the lemon zest, though the lemon zest would've been nice as well.)

3. Divide the cake batter into the two pans, or pour into the springform pan, and spread it out using a spatula, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes (for 2 pans) or 35-40 minutes (for 1 pan), until lightly golden brown and risen. Put a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean, the cake is done. Allow the cake(s) to cool slightly, then carefully turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.

4. If using one pan, when the cake is cool, use a serrated knife to evenly cut the cake in two equal parts. Spread whip cream on the newly cut top of one of the portions of the cake. Top with freshly sliced strawberries. Add a bit more whip cream. Top with the other cake. Top with more whip cream and sliced strawberries. Cut into slices and serve.