Victoria sponge with limoncello and balsamic strawberries
Serves: 8
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Recipe from What Katie Ate by Katie Quinn Davies (Hodder & Stoughton) / Photograph by Katie Quinn Davies
Victoria sponge with limoncello and balsamic strawberries
Serves: 8
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
549Kcal
Fat
36gr
Saturates
22gr
Carbs
47gr
Sugars
32gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
6.5gr
Salt
0.4gr
Katie Quinn Davies
Katie works as a freelance commercial photographer specialising in food and lifestyle subjects. She also is a cookbook author and recipe writer and is a regular contributor to Australia's ABC Delicious Magazine.
See more of Katie Quinn Davies’s recipes
Katie Quinn Davies
Katie works as a freelance commercial photographer specialising in food and lifestyle subjects. She also is a cookbook author and recipe writer and is a regular contributor to Australia's ABC Delicious Magazine.
See more of Katie Quinn Davies’s recipes
Ingredients
- 175g unsalted butter, softened
- 175g caster sugar
- 3 medium free-range eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 175g self-raising flour, sifted
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp limoncello or 2 tsp lemon juice
- 200g mascarpone
- 100ml whipping cream
- icing sugar, for dusting
Limoncello and balsamic strawberries:
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tbsp limoncello or 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 400g strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 1 small handful mint, finely chopped
Step by step
Get ahead
The cake is best made, assembled and eaten on the same day. The sponges can be frozen.
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C, fan 160˚C, gas 4 and grease and line 2 x 20cm springform tins.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer for 5-6 minutes or until pale and creamy. Gradually add the beaten egg, mixing continuously, and allowing each batch to be incorporated before adding any more. Add a little flour if it looks like it might curdle.
- Add the vanilla and half the flour and beat until incorporated. Add the milk and limoncello or lemon juice and beat to combine, them add the remaining flour and beat until combined.
- Divide the batter between the prepared tines and smooth the tops, then gently tap the tines and smooth the tops, then gently tap the tins on the benchtop to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of each cake.
- Divide the batter between the prepared tines and smooth the tops, then gently tap the tines and smooth the tops, then gently tap the tins on the benchtop to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of each cake.
- Remove from the oven and leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, for the limoncello and balsamic strawberries, place the sugar, limoncello or lemon juice and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes until reduced and syrupy. Add the strawberries and mint and simmer for another minute so that the fruit softens slightly, then pour the mixture into a shallow bowl or tray and leave to cool completely.
- Whisk together the mascarpone and cream until smooth and thick enough to hold its shape. Spread the mascarpone cream over one cake and place on a serving platter large enough to catch any juices from the filling. Top with the strawberry mixture, then sandwich the second sponge on top and dust liberally with icing sugar. Eat within a couple of hours of assembling.
Chef quote
This is my take on the classic Victoria sponge recipe that my mum used to make. Strawberries pair very well with lemon, and this recipe uses the Italian lemon liqueur, limoncello.
