Victoria Sponge Cake

Ingredients

For the cake

• 200 g plant-based butter or spread
• 250 g golden caster sugar
• 400 g self-raising flour
• 100 g plant-based yoghurt
• 100 g plant-based milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt

For the filing and decoration

• 250 g strawberry jam
• fresh strawberries to decorate, optional
• plant-based whipping cream, optional
• icing sugar to decorate, optional

Method

All your ingredients should ideally be room temperature before you start. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Cut the plant-based butter into small chunks to make it easy to mix, add it to a large mixing bowl with the caster sugar. Using an electric whisk (or a lot of arm strength!) beat them together for about 5 minutes until the mixture has gone paler in colour and fluffier in texture.

Add the vanilla extract and mix in.

Clean your whisk or spoon and in a separate clean, dry bowl take 3 tablespoons of the liquid from a tin of chickpeas and beat/whisk this until it’s also thick, light and fluffy – stop beating as soon as it starts to solidify slightly.

To your butter and sugar mixture, add in the yoghurt, milk and mix gently before sieving in the flour gradually. Sieving is optional but it will help give you a lighter smoother cake crumb if you have a sieve.

Add in the bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and a good pinch of salt. If the mixture fizzes slightly, do not worry, this is just the rising agents activating. Finally, gently fold in the whisked aquafaba until just fully combined.

Grease two 8-9 inch cake tins and split the mixture evenly between them.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cake top is evenly golden and a sharp knife comes out clean. Do not be tempted to open your oven to peak at the cake before it’s had at least 20-25 minutes!

Leave to cool for a few minutes in their tins before tipping them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the sponge cakes are no longer warm to the touch, gently place one layer onto your favourite cake stand or plate, top with your strawberry jam, whip some plant-based cream, if you like, and assemble the cake with the second sponge layer.

Top with a sprinkle of icing sugar and/or with slices of fresh strawberries.