Victoria Sponge Cake is one of the classics of British baking, traditionally served for afternoon tea and special occasions. This version is a quick and quite delicious version made healthier using olive oil, and is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and refined sugar free. One of the tasters for the recipe said āYouād never know it was free of so many allergens, its so nice and moist.ā The honey makes a nice counterpoint in a dessert that is not overly sweet, but still satisfying. Strawberries go nicely with Sicilian Lemon white balsamic or Honey Ginger balsamic. Even using Chocolate Dark Balsamic would be a fun hint of flavor to add to this delicious cake.
Recipe Credit: Jessica Gaydos
IngredientsĀ
For Cake:
- 6 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Ā½ cup Olive This! Whole Fruit Lemon or mild Single Varietal Olive Oil
- 2/3 cup honey
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- Ā¼ cup arrowroot or tapioca flour
- Ā½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
For Filling:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups thinly sliced strawberries
- 2 tablespoons Olive This! Sicilian Lemon Balsamic, Honey Ginger, or Elderflower White Balsamics
- Optional, powdered sugar and/or whole strawberries to garnish
Directions
30-60 minutes before baking, take 6 eggs out of fridge to bring to room temperature. Room temperature eggs are essential to get the proper rise and texture.Ā Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 2 round 8ā cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper. Parchment paper must be used or cake will stick.
Once they are at room temperature, crack eggs into medium mixing bowl and beat until very foamy and thick, and volume is doubled. You cannot overbeat the eggs, but under beaten eggs will make for a denser cake.
Mix in vanilla extract, olive oil, and honey. Pro-tip ā measuring the oil and pouring it out before the honey will allow the honey to pour out easier.
Mix in dry ingredients until fully blended, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, and doing a final mix to ensure all the ingredients are fully combined. Batter will be thin and foamy.
Pour batter into prepared 8ā pans, splitting evenly between them.
Place pans onto top rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then cover the tops of pans loosely with foil to prevent excess browning. Almond flour browns faster than wheat flour, and final cake will be darker than a conventional cake. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when pressed lightly and toothpick comes out clean.
Cool layers for 10-15 minutes on wire racks, then slide a knife around outside edge to release before tipping cakes out on wire racks to cool. Cool layers completely before assembling.
For Filling:
Toss sliced strawberries with balsamic at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld
Whip heavy cream until stiffly whipped. You should be able to see the mixer tracks in the cream and there will be no liquid left.
To Assemble:
Cake should be assembled as close to serving as possible, and within 1-2 hours of serving for best results.
- Decide which cake layer looks the best and reserve that one for the top layer. Place other layer on serving platter.
- Spread bottom layer with whipped cream, leaving about Ā¼ā around the edges bare as cream will get pushed outwards once the top layer is on. Stir strawberries to evenly mix, and then spoon on top of heavy cream layer. (Any excess juice/syrup can be used in sparkling water, over ice cream, or in cocktails.)
- Carefully place second cake layer on top of strawberries. No need to press down. Garnish with powdered sugar and/or fresh strawberries if desired.
- Cake should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 24 hours of assembling. The longer it sits, the more the cream will deflate and turn to liquid and cake will get soggy.
Serves 8-10
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