Victoria Sponges For One

Aren't these tempting? I do love a cake made 'for one'. Some out-of-the-ordinary ingredients were used in the process too – instead of mixing with butter, we use cream; and instead of baking in a round cake tin we use a tin can. Yes, that's right a tin can that you would find soup in.

Valentine's Day White Chocolate and Raspberry Bake

So you've decided to surprise your loved one with a cake made just for them? The last thing you want ahead of your Valentine's day of romance is a complicated recipe with 50 different posh ingredients for one cake, right? This one is unknowingly simple to put together. With its uncomplicated nature this Valentine's day cake can see you buying your frozen raspberries ahead of time and storing them in the freezer. and don't feel slighted that they're frozen – they work. Go get some in Sainsbury's. This cake is always 'baked with love' when I make it

Valentine's White Chocolate Raspberry Tray Bake
200g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
3 medium eggs, beaten
200g flour
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp Milk
100g White chocolate chunks
100g Frozen raspberries (defrosted and pat dry)

Preheat the oven to 160c/ Gas mark 4. Grease and line a 28 x 18 x 3cm tray with baking paper and set aside.

Cream together your sugar and softened butter until it is light and fluffy.

Gradually add the beaten egg a little at a time and beat well after each addition.
Gently mix in the flour until it is fully combined and then fold in the remaining ingredients being careful not to break up the fruit.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tray and roughly level the surface with the back of a metal spoon.

Bake for 50 minutes in the oven until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool before slicing.

Nigella's Victoria Sponge

It's my little one's Christening in a few weeks and I've been battling with the decision of whether to make the cake for the Christening or not. Part of me cannot be bothered with the added pressure that a cake for a celebration brings and the other side of me feels it will be an absolute sin to have a shop-bought sponge cake sitting on my table, to those who know I bake! What will the people say, when my apple-crumble fans or my cheesecake fans ask if I baked the cake and I say, 'no, Marks & Spencer did'. That's not going to help my street cred' now, is it. But on the other hand, I've got so much other stuff going on, do I really have the time? Not really.

You see, baking the cake is NOT the problem, it's the decoration! It's all that icing and fondant stuff! I've not done that stuff before! I see loads of people posting their cake decorating tutorials online, making it seem so simple, but I know I will find it a faff and just an extra step preventing you from eating the darn thing.

So you know what, I'm going to see how it goes. Take it a step at a time and if my practice runs go well, I will go ahead and make the Christening cake! Take baby steps! It's not like I'm a stranger to Victoria sponge – here's one I baked earlier.

Mini Very Berry Victoria Sponge cake

After all this tart baking, I decided I needed some cake. But not just any cake, mind you. And I didn't fancy doing a big lahh-dee-dahh cake either. I didn't know exactly what I wanted, I just wanted some cake. Then it hit me. Like a bat out of hell, I saw what I was looking for! Thanks to SupergoldenBakes this recipe hit the spot! Not only was it individually sized and just enough for one person to eat a whole cake themselves without really eating a ‘whole cake', but I got to bake it with an ingredient I'd never used before in a cake ...and with a method unorthodox to my little baking mind!! Oh, it's too much, can't take the excitement!! Instead of mixing with butter, we use cream; and instead of baking in your round cake tin we use a tin can! No?! Say what!? All you need to know is…
it works. End of story.

P.S: This cake was so fab’, the other half loved it! Remember, I told you about him, he hardly eats my type of cakes and biscuits, but scoffed two of them! So that's quite a big deal for me. It must be Christmas.