Victoria Sponge Fillings...

[AllotmentAllium]

What do you use for the filling in a sandwich cake?

I have been fortunate to enjoy a few cakes lately and each version has been nicer than my bog standard buttercream/jam filling.

What do you use (with recipes please)?

I use the Mary Berry recipe on BBC good food! Then bog standard ‘Norfolk Garden Preserves’ raspberry jam - it’s not as sickly sweet as other jams such as Bon Maman which just tastes like eating sugar. Proper fresh cream, whipped up.

A good Victoria sponge is more about fresh cream and good jam than anything else!! Buttercream is probably where you’re going wrong.

Fresh cream means it has to go in the fridge but it lasts 5-6 days (if DDs aren’t around…)

I quite like to use a curd sometimes. I don't tend to add any fruity flavour to the batter mixture, just a lemon or blackcurrant curd.

Can’t beat a generous spread of your favourite jam. Caster sugar on top. Classic Victoria sponge.

Favourite variation, lemon curd and fresh cream, lemon zest in the sponge.

Must have fresh cream!

What were the fillings you enjoyed recently, OP? I need inspiration!
I’m generally a very boring buttercream and strawberry jam VS maker.
My DD made me a lovely one with fresh cream and strawberries but I think the strawberries made it go off quicker!

Love the sound of PPs lemony one!

Fresh cream & sliced strawberries.

Will try the lemon one. Sounds lovely & fresh.

I love blackcurrant jam inside. With fresh cream or butter cream

I actually like vanilla buttercream with sliced fresh strawberries. (Only in season of course, not those sad excuses you can buy at other times of year)
Agree that with jam added buttercream is then too sweet but with fresh strawberries it is just right.

Lemon curd and whipped cream. It's lush.😉

What buttercream recipes are people using? Mine end up tasting too sweet!

They looked fairly standard jam and cream but the cream layer wasn't fresh or a sweet buttercream - some sort of fresher lighter version!

Also recently had a chocolate sandwich cake that had almost like a torte filling that was delicious- more of a pudding though!

Seedless raspberry is the classic. Simple and gorgeous. Blackcurrant is a good alternative. I am not keen on buttercream fillings.

I like raspberry or blackberry or even blackcurrant jam. Something with a sharper edge suits the cake. Plus fresh cream, which is surely less calorific than buttercream, and nicer.

I use clotted cream like you would for a scone and a good jam/preserve, delicious 😋

My buttercream recipe …
85 g unsalted butter
250 g icing sugar
Vanilla extract ( not flavouring , you need the real stuff ) at least a teaspoonful , add more according to your taste
Mix all together using an electric hand whisk , it will be lumpy , and you’ll think I’m mad
Add a splash of boiling water from the kettle , and beat like mad , it will be lovely and light and fluffy

I like jam and butter cream in a Victoria sponge

Lemon curd and buttercream in a lemon drizzle ( Mary Berry does a lovely one where you boil the lemons , blitz them and use in the sponge )

My absolute favourite would be a coffee and walnut , with coffee in the buttercream

( no wonder I need to lose weight )

I don’t like buttercream, so it’s either fresh cream and jam, or just jam.
I prefer a soft set jam. I love homemade, made from fruit from PIL garden, so plum or gooseberry.

If I’m buying jam, I usually choose St Dalfour raspberry.

M&S do a lovely Victoria cream sponge with chunky apple purée filling, which I always mean to try and recreate.

If it's all being eaten that day, jam or sliced strawberries and fresh whipped double cream.

If it's likely to be served over a couple of days, a fruit curd (lemon, lime or passion fruit) or buttercream.

Buttercream is 1 part butter, beaten until white (it takes a little longer than you think) to 2 parts icing sugar. Optional flavours like vanilla or a shot of espresso or lemon zest, or whatever you like.

A tasty curd is nice, especially with fresh cream. Make your own using passion fruit its a lovely curd.
fresh fruit is nice too though most go for strawberries raspberries make a nice change too

My mum always used a layer of strawberry jam and some fresh cream.

I always do jam and whipped cream, I use whipping cream and don’t add sugar so less sweetness. Try different jams OP e.g blackcurrant or mixed berries.

DS and I made one for Mother's Day yesterday. Whipped cream with vanilla essence and a bit of icing sugar, with fresh sliced strawberries instead of jam. It was delicious.

Last year I was given a bag of quinces. I made membrillo (quince paste to have with cheese) plus a batch of quince jelly. The jelly made a great alternative jam in the centre of a sponge- along with cream 😋

The best I ever tasted had rhubarb jam and rose infused cream.
I made apple and cream last summer for a change.

has anyone pointed out that (afaik) the WI insists that it is rasperry jam only?