Mother’s Day strawberry & mascarpone cream Victoria sponge

Ingredients

150g (6oz) butter/margarine, at room temperature

125g (5oz) caster sugar

3 large eggs

50g (2oz) potato flour

50g (2oz) corn flour

50g (2oz) tapioca flour

1 teaspoon GF baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon guar gum

To Decorate

150ml (5floz) whipping cream

225g (9oz) mascarpone cheese

3 tablespoons icing sugar

1 punnet of strawberries, washed, hulled and chopped

Extra icing sugar for dusting

Steps

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5/190°C/375°F.
Grease two 20cm/8in sandwich tins and line the
bases with baking parchment.

1. With an electric mixer, cream the butter/margarine
with the sugar until light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly.

2. Add the eggs, a little at a time, to the butter/
margarine mixture. Beat between each addition.
In another bowl, sieve the flours, baking powder
and guar gum and mix until blended.

3. Using a spoon, rather than a mixer, fold the flour into
the egg mixture in three or four batches. Make sure
one batch is folded in before adding the next one.
If the mixture seems a little tight – i.e. too stiff and
does not drop easily off a spoon – then add 1–2
teaspoons of warm water. Add one at a time and mix
it in. This will loosen the mixture.

4. Divide evenly between the two tins and smooth the
surface with the back of a palette knife.
Bake in the preheated oven on the centre shelf for 25
minutes or so – the sponges should be golden brown
and springy.

5. Remove from the oven and leave to sit in the tins for
1–2 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling
tray. It is easier to do this if you first loosen around
the edges with a flat knife.
Peel off the baking parchment and allow to cool.

To Decorate

1. When the sponge is cool, whip the cream lightly. In
a separate bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese and
sieve in the icing sugar, beating until fully blended.
Add the whipped cream and mix in.

2. Place one sponge with its bottom facing upwards
on a serving plate. Spread the mascarpone filling
generously onto this and sprinkle with halved
strawberries. Hold some strawberries back for the
top of the cake.
Sandwich the second sponge snugly on top of the
first.

3. Dust the top with icing sugar and arrange a pile of
strawberry segments in the centre.