victoria sponge

esther

After an unfortunate episode at age seven that involved a trip to a fruit-picking farm and me eating about 300 strawberries, I suddenly became intolerant to them (my own fault, really).

Ever since, I’ve had to avoid strawberry jam, but that has never stopped me enjoying one of my favourite classic cakes.

I love apricots, so I use a sticky apricot compote in my Victoria sponge alongside some vanilla whipped cream. The lemon thyme in the compote adds freshness and gives the whole thing a real taste of summer.

There’s a reason why this is one of Britain’s best-loved bakes. You can enjoy it even if