Victoria Sponge Cupcakes

I love Victoria Sponge, sweet light cake with a generous layer of strawberry jam and cream in the middle. I saw a picture of mini victoria sponges a while ago (I can't remember where) so I gave them a go myself. I made them for my sisters who aren't fans of cream so I just put jam in the middle of mine. If you do like cream, whip up a couple of tablespoons until it holds its shape and spread it on after the jam.

Ingredients
4oz (125g) butter, softened
4oz (125g) sugar
2 eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4oz (125g) plain gluten-free flour, sifted
1 level teaspoon baking powder
approx. 2 tablespoons strawberry jam


Method

Step 1
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add half of the eggs and half of the flour and mix until combined. Add the remaining eggs, vanilla, remaining flour and baking powder. Mix everything together, making sure no flour is left around the edge.


Step 2
Pre-heat the oven to Gas 5 and generously grease a muffin tin with butter. My mixture made enough for 8. Spoon the mixture evenly into the holes and level the top with a spoon.


Step 3
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until golden and risen. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for a couple of minutes. Carefully run a dessert spoon around the edge of each hole and lift out the muffins. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.


Step 4
When the muffins have cooled use a large serrated knife to cut horizontally down the centre. Spoon on some strawberry jam to the bottom half, spread with a knife and sandwich the other half on top.


Make yourself a cracking cup of English Breakfast, put your feet up and enjoy!

It almost looks like it's smiling...