Welcome! Today I will share my Family recipe for a versatile 'Victoria Sponge Cake' for the 'Harvest Recipe Cookbook 2008' Showcase.
(If you wish to view larger images at any time during this recipe; click the picture to enlarge)

The list of Ingredients you will need for the Cake are as follows:
*175g (6oz) Butter
*175g (6oz) Caster or Granulated Sugar
*3 Eggs (Whisked/Beaten)
*175g (6oz) Self Raising Flour.
~Ingredients for the Vanilla Buttercream Filling: *275g (10oz) Icing Sugar *150g (5oz) Butter *15 to 30ml (1 to 2 tablespoons) Milk *A few drops of Vanilla Essence (or to taste).
As this cake mix is versatile - you have the option to add any filling to the cake mixture before baking; such as Chocolate Chips, fruit or candy etc.

First you need to prepare your 2 sandwich cake tins (8inch - 20.5cm Cake tins are better but any sizes can be used as long as the ingredients are evenly added to each tin) - Grease each cake tin lightly with butter and/or use grease proof baking paper.
~ Let's get started! ~
*Add the butter & the sugar in the bowl and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
*Then add the whisked/beaten eggs a little at a time until you have added all of the whisked eggs to the butter & sugar.

Now we need to...
*Sift and lightly fold in half the flour - once you have folded in half of the flour - add the rest of the flour by lightly folding until the flour has dissolved into the mixture.
~ If you wish to add Chocolate Chips, Fruit or Candy etc now is the time to add your chosen 'extra' to the mixture and stir in well. The amount of Chocolate Chips, Fruit or Candy etc is your call! ~

Divide the mixture to your 2 prepared cake tins evenly. Level the top with a knife, spoon or a clean hand (the hand is the messy part but most fun way! ^_^).

Bake both tins of the cake mixture on the same shelf at 190c (375f ) or gas mark 5 for 20 minutes.
*When the cakes are well risen and firm to the touch, turn them out on to a a wire rack to cool*

Let's move on to the Vanilla Butter Cream whilst the cakes are cooling (you will need to refer to the Vanilla Butter Cream Ingredients list on page 2)...
*Add the Butter in to a clean mixing bowl - mix until the butter is soft and creamy.
*Gradually beat the Icing Sugar, Vanilla Essence & Milk until the complete mixture is smooth.
~ Next you need to put the Butter Cream mixture in the fridge until it has set firm - around 10 to 15 minutes should be enough time ~

Once both the Cakes have cooled and the Vanilla Butter Cream has set you can now spread the Butter Cream as the filling to sandwich the top and bottom of the Cake together - you can also add the Butter Cream around the sides and the top of the cake if you wish.
~ You can decorate your cake with anything you like; I like to use candy sprinkes, a dusting of icing sugar, chocolate or fruit ~

Congratulations you have baked a Victoria Sponge Cake!
Serve and enjoy as a treat for yourself or share with friends and family! Yummy! ^_^
To show how versatile the Victoria Sponge Cake is I have included some pictures of my own baked Victoria Sponge cakes explaining what else can be used to add to the mixture....

Banana Cream & Fruit Topping Victoria Sponge Cake - I used the very same ingredients as shown to bake the cake and make the Vanilla Butter Cream; but I added 2 crushed Bananas to the Cake mixture and to the Vanilla Butter Cream. I then decorated it with strawberries, blackcurrants, redcurrents & cherries.

Using the same Cake & Vanilla Butter Cream ingredients I evenly added the cake mixture to cup cake cases - cut the tops off the cup cakes once cooled - I then dipped the tops of the cup cakes in melted chocolate and cooled them in the fridge until the chocolate had set.
I added the Vanilla Butter Cream to the area of the cake I removed and on top of the set chocolate & placed back the tops of the cup cakes held by the Butter Cream...I then decorated with cherries!

Here's a Party Cake using the same ingredients; but I also added chocolate chips to the mixture before baking. - decorated with candy sprinkles, chocolate shavings and cherries.
I hope you enjoy your cake and you never know you might even create a new twist to this old recipe! ~ Happy Harvest Baking!, from Tanya ^_^