Anton du Beke's Victoria sponge
You know him as Strictly’s longest reigning professional dancer (and Ruth’s partner in 2017), but before the dance floor came calling, Anton du Beke worked as a full-time baker. Today he’s joining the This Morning family. In the first of our new series, Anton shares his second passion exclusively with This Morning - inviting us inside his Buckinghamshire home and introducing us to his wife and children before revisiting a bakery and showing us the skills he learnt at 17.
Victoria sponge
Serves: 8
Ingredients
3 large eggs, about 200g when weighed in their shells
About 200g butter
About 200g golden caster sugar
About 200g self raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
6 tbsp strawberry jam
300ml double cream, whipped
Icing sugar, to dust
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C / 170C fan / Gas 4. Grease two 20cm sandwich tins and line with baking paper
Weigh out the butter, sugar and flour so they are the same as the total weight of the eggs (still in their shells)
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one by one, until incorporated, adding 1 tbsp of flour with each one if the mixture starts to curdle.
Sieve the flour and salt into the mixture and lightly fold in using a large metal spoon. Divide the mixture between the cake tins, smooth over the surfaces and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and risen.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool
Once cooled, spread the jam over one sponge then spoon on the cream. Sit the remaining sponge on top and dust with icing sugar.