VICTORIA SANDWICH CAKE

The Victoria Sandwich was Queen Victoria's favorite cake. It was, and still is today served at Royal tea and garden parties. It is said that Queen Victoria ate a whole cake at one sitting, which may be why in her later years she became quite heavy.
This cake is one of the very first cakes to use butter in the ingredients. This helped prevent the cake from sinking in the middle, which often happened as at that time ovens had no thermostats. A Victoria Sandwich cake is usually two large round cakes sandwiched together with strawberry preserves and for a special treat, whipped cream as well.

VICTORIA SANDWICH

Ingredients
2 cups cake flour
4 and half teaspoons baking powder
4 large eggs
Quarter cup warm water
1 cup sugar
1 cup soft margarine or whipped butter
12 ounces strawberry preserves/ whipped cream (optional)

Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans. Preheat oven to 325F

Method
Sift flour and baking powder together twice
Using an electric mixer beat together eggs, water, sugar, margarine or butter until very light and fluffy. Add the flour/baking powder all at once, resume beating until mixture is pale and has a glossy appearance.
Divide mixture equally between the two pans.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until tops are lightly brown. Cool pans on racks.
Turn out cakes and sandwich together with the strawberry preserves and whipped cream, if using.
Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.