Victoria Sandwich With Goldenberry Compote & Earl Grey Whipped Cream

Makes: 1 small Victorian sandwich, approximately 4” in size.

This cake makes me…jubilant ;)

ingredients

GROUP A: SPONGE CAKE

• 1 egg

• 1/2 stick (2 oz) salted butter

• 1/4 cup fine granulated brown sugar

• 1/4 cup bread flour (substitute: equal part AP flour)

• Pinch of baking powder

• 1 tsp marmalade

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

GROUP B: COMPOTE

• 10 golden berries (a.k.a cape gooseberries)

• 1 passion fruit

• 1 tsp brown sugar

• 1/2 tbsp gin (a citrus forward one would be nice)

• 1/4 tsp elderflower syrup (optional)

• 5 drops cardamom bitters (optional)

GROUP C: WHIPPED CREAM

• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream

• 1/2 tbsp loose leaf Earl Grey tea

• 1 tsp icing sugar

NOTES

1. The quantity of heavy cream only seems less; it yields just the right amount of whipped cream for the mini cake.

2. Feel free to use any cake mold of choice, but I recommend sticking to a small ramekin or cake ring, so that the batter will have sufficient height to rise to, and slicing the cake into half, height-wise, will become far easier. A larger mold may also significantly reduce your baking time, since your surface area for the same amount of batter will increase.

3. Don’t get lazy creaming the butter and sugar; ensure that no flecks/granules of sugar are visible and the consistency of the final mixture should be like the whipped butter, or even moisturizer, that you can buy at stores.

4. The cake is small enough that it can be finished in a day; on the off chance that you want to store it for eating later, refrigerate it in an air tight box for up to a day. Any more refrigeration time is not recommended as the sandwich will get soggy.

method

• Prep the cream: Mix the loose leaf Earl Grey tea into the heavy cream and let it steep at room temperature for 20 - 25 minutes. Strain the cream to discard the tea and whip it to slightly stiff peaks, then fold in the icing sugar. Refrigerate till it is time to assemble the cake.

• Bake the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and dust your cake mold of choice ( I used an ≈3.75” ramekin). In a deep bowl, cream the butter and sugar together till the mixture is pale and light, as opposed to the dark brown (sugar) & yellow (butter) combination in the beginning. Whisk in the egg and vanilla till the mixture becomes uniform. Add half the flour and the marmalade, and fold the batter gently; it’s okay to have flour streaks. Add the remaining flour and the baking powder, and this time, fold till there is no dry streak remaining. Pour the batter into the prepared mold and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, till the cake has risen and skewer inserted into its center comes out clean. Pop the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool completely at room temperature for 25 - 30 minutes.

• Make the compote: While the cake is cooling, slice the golden berries in half and add them to a bowl with the elderflower syrup, gin, cardamom bitters, and sugar. Scoop out the passion fruit flesh and strain the juice into the same bowl. Discard the seeds. Mix the contents of the bowl and let the fruit macerate for as long as the cake cools down.

• After macerating for 25 - 30 minutes, add the mixture to a small saucepan and cook on medium-low heat, while stirring continuously. Continue till the fruit is sticky and has come together as a jammy mix. Turn off the heat and let the compote cool completely at room temperature.

• Assemble the cake: Slice the cake height-wise in half, yielding two discs of cake. Spread or pipe the whipped cream on the bottom half, then layer on the compote, and close the sandwich with the other half of the cake. Dust with icing sugar and eat right away!