Victoria Sponge

Ingredients

• 200g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 200g caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 200g self-raising flour
• 4 medium eggs

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.  Grease and flour two 20cm sandwich tins.  Place the butter, caster sugar and vanilla essence into a bowl or blender and mix well into a creamy consistency.  Then slowly mix the eggs into the bowl, adding them one by one.  Fold in the flour.  When mixed, pour into the tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen and golden-brown.  The cakes should spring back when pressed on top with a finger.  Turn out and leave to cool on wire racks.  When cool sandwich the cakes together with jam and dust the top with caster sugar.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

• 250g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 100g plain flour, sieved, plus extra for flouring tin
• 350g dark chocolate
• 3 medium eggs
• 250g dark muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.  Grease and flour a 23cm square tin.  Line the base with greaseproof paper.  Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Whisk the eggs together and slowly add the sugar.  Beat in the chocolate mixture and gently fold in the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt.  Pour the mixture into the tin.  Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the surface is set.  It is cooked when a skewer placed into the centre comes out with a little mixture sticking to it.  Remove from the oven and cool in the tin slightly, then place on a wire rack to cool.  Cut the cake into squares and keep in a tin or in the fridge.