Recipe: Victoria sponge cake, from English Tarts caf in Mission

Ruth Janes and Bethen Lane, who had both emigrated from England, began selling their traditional English baking at the Mission City Farmers' Market two and a half years ago.

They tucked away their earnings in a jam jar. Withthat money, and support from the local chamber of commerce,they recently opened their own brick-and-mortar store in the community.

• North By Northwest Cooking Club
• Browse all CBC's B.C. recipes

English Tarts is located in downtown Mission, and Janes and Lane who jokingly say that the name refers to them bake up a variety of goods that are immensely popular with other English ex-pats as well as others in the community.

Janes and Lane toldNorth by Northwesthost Sheryl Mackaythat they offer scones filled with currants, cakes iced in butter cream, pies bursting with fruit, as well as savoury goods such as quiche.

They shared their recipe for Victoria sponge cake with North by Northwest.

Victoria sponge cake

Ingredients:

• 6 oz self-raising flour.*
• 6 oz sugar.
• 6 oz butter.
• 3 extra large eggs.

Method:

Prepare two 7 1/2" cake tins, pre- heat oven to 325 F.

1. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and drops off spoon easily.

2. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

3. Fold in flour.

4. Divide batter between tins.

5. Bake for 25 minutes.

6. Leave in pans for a few minutes then place on a cooling rack until completely cold.

To make the butter cream beat together 4oz butter, 8oz icing sugar, 7tsp water and a few drops of vanilla extract.

Assemble the cake by placing strawberry jam and butter cream between the two cakes. Sprinkle the top with a light dusting of icing sugar and serve.

Note: If you don't have self-raising flour, you can use a teaspoon of baking powder with 6 oz of all-purpose flour.

To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelled: English Tarts cafe in Mission offers tasty treats from the old country