Victoria sponge sandwiches

A sandwich tower made of Victoria sponge. Photo: Annie Gray

Authentic Victorian recipe by food historian Dr. Annie Gray.

Makes 10 to 20 servings depending on how big you cut the fingers.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 12oz caster sugar
• 8oz plain flour
• 2 tbspns ground almond
• Orange flower water

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius fan / 180 degrees conventional.

Grease a tin using butter and sugar.

Whisk the eggs in a copper bowl for around five minutes until they form a stiff foam. If  you don’t have a copper bowl, squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice to help the mixture rise.

You can add a little baking powder later on if you don’t have a copper bowl.

Mix in the caster sugar with your hands, then the milk. Then add the ground almonds. Finally add a couple of table spoons of orange flower water.

Place the sponge mix in the oven for about thirty minutes.

Take the sponge out of the oven and use a skewer to test if it’s done – if it comes out dry then it's ready.

Slice through the cake to make two then cut in to finger lengths and put jam in the middle as you would a sandwich.