Many Happy Returns of the Day!

That was a common birthday greeting in the 19th century…and while it’s now the 21st, we though it appropriate to use as Nineteenteen completes its second full year of blogging this week.

It’s hard for Regina and me to believe we’ve been posting faithfully for two whole years. That’s a long time by blog standards. It’s a lot of work to think up topics, research, write, find appropriate images…but it’s also a lot of fun. We’re writing this blog because we enjoy it…and we hope you enjoy reading it.

In celebration of our birthday week, here’s a recipe for Victoria Cake, which according to legend was much appreciated by Her Majesty at tea time. Enjoy!

Victoria Cake

Ingredients

for the cake
6 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
6 oz superfine sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
6 oz self-raising flour
Pinch of salt

For the filling
4-6 tbsp strawberry jam, or your favorite flavor
1 tbsp superfine sugar

Buttercream (optional)

3 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 oz powdered sugar
4-5 drops of vanilla extract

Grease and line the bottom of 2 8-inch cake pans (at least 2" deep) with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°. Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until the mixture is pale in color and light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg, a teaspoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour and salt and carefully add to the mixture, folding in with a spatula. Divide the mixture equally between the pans and smooth over with a spatula. Place the pans on the same shelf in the center of the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes until well risen, golden brown and beginning to shrink from the sides of the pans. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 3 – 5 minutes. Loosen the cakes from around the edge of the pans using a butter knife and turn them out onto a clean towel. Remove the parchment paper and invert the cakes onto a wire rack (this prevents the rack from marking the tops). When completely cool, spread the jam on the bottom cake and place the 2nd on top to sandwich them together. To finish off, sprinkle the top of the cake with sugar. If you wish to add the optional buttercream, beat together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Spread the buttercream carefully over the jam before stacking the cakes.


P. S. And no, I didn’t forget…the winner of a paperback copy of Bewitching Season from among last week’s commenters is Rachel. Rachel, contact me via this form on my website so that we can arrange mailing.

Please come back on Friday, when we’ll continue our birthday celebration by offering another chance to win a book by commenting. See you then!