Mini Valentine’s Victoria Sponges

I was inspired by the natural heart-like shape of a strawberry to make these mini heart shaped victoria sponges as part of a bigger afternoon tea to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Recipe by Rebecca Beesley

Uploaded by Rebecca Beesley

Time to make

Skill Level

Easy

Serves

8 people

Baking ingredients

115 g caster sugar
115 g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
115 g butter

Decorating ingredients

70 g icing sugar
50 g butter
1 g vanilla extract
8 tbsp strawberry jam
8 strawberries

Email this recipe

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Grease and line a cake tin. I use a fry light spray to grease the tin as it is a speedy way of doing it.

Step 2

Mix together the cake ingredients in a bowl. This is again a really straightforward cake to make because it is an all-in-one method of mixing everything at the same time. Because this recipe uses self-raising flour and baking powder, you are not trying to beat any extra air into it, so as soon as the ingredients are combined, you can stop mixing.

Step 3

Spoon into the tin and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Once bakes, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Step 4

Mix together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract to make butter icing.

Step 5

When the sponge is cool, use a heart cutter to cut out heart shapes. Assemble by slicing each heart in half and spreading a layer of jam and then piping on some of the butter icing. On top of each, pipe a small blob of butter icing, then top with half a strawberry. You can use the strawberries' natural heart shape to accentuate the heart shape of the cakes.

Step 6

You can also sieve on a little icing sugar if desired.

Step 7

We served these cute little heart Valentine's Victoria sponges as part of a lovely afternoon tea with homemade battenberg and homemade florentines too.