Vegan Lemon Victoria Sponge

A Victoria Sponge is one of the most popular cakes to make and eat. It's quick to whip one up and the flavours are easy on the taste buds. With bake sales, coffee mornings, garden openings and talks I've lost count of the number of Victoria Sponges I have baked in the last year. One thing we like to do when baking a selection of cakes to share and sell is to make sure we are inclusive in what we have to offer. This means we always like to have some gluten free and vegan cakes. Increasingly now we find more and more people who are vegan by choice or have an intolerance of dairy, lactose or eggs. With this recipe there's no reason not to serve up a cake classic. The lemon flavoured filling has a lovely zesty taste to it.

Without any eggs in the recipe it doesn't quite have the rise of one made with eggs so don't be worried when you get it out of the tin. When greasing the tins you can either use some of the vegan spread or brush round with the vegetable oil.

Equipment: 2 x 8in (20cm) sandwich tins greased and lined, large bowl, electric whisk/beaters, wire rack, sieve

Ingredients

9½ oz (270g) Self raising flour

7 oz (200g) Caster sugar

1 tsp (5ml) Baking power

Zest of one lemon

3½ fl oz (100ml) Vegetable oil

1 tbsp (15ml) Lemon juice

6 fl oz (200ml) Cold water

Filling

3½ oz (100g) Vegan spread (I use Pure Soya Spread or Flora Freedom Dairy Free)

10½ oz (300g) Icing sugar, sifted

¼ tsp (1.25ml) Lemon extract

Extra icing sugar for sifting over the top

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6.

2. In the large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon zest. Add in the oil, lemon juice and water and then beat well for a couple of minutes.

3. Transfer the mixture equally to the two prepared tins. Gently spread out and even out the tops.

4. Bake for around 20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

5. Remove from the tins and leave to cool completely on the wire rack.

6. Once cold prepared the filling by beating the spread and then gradually adding in the icing sugar. Once combined add in the lemon extract and beat again.

7. Spread the filling over the top of one of the cakes and then place the other on top.

8. Finish off with a dusting of icing sugar.