Spikes Almond and Strawberry Victoria Sponge.

Ingredients

150g Self raising flour

150g caster sugar

150g unsalted butter

3 medium eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp water

Strawberry jam

2 × 18cm sandwich tins

For the topping..

200g Whipping cream

200g icing sugar

200g toasted almonds

1 punnet of strawberries

1 Preheat oven to fan 160°C, conventional 180°C, gas 4.

2 Grease and line the base of your sandwich tins with baking parchment.

3 Sift the flour into a bowl and put to one side.

4 Beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

5 Gradually add the beaten eggs and water with a little of the flour.

6 Gently fold in the remainder of the flour until all the ingredients are combined.

7 place the mixture into prepared tins and level the surface evenly.

( a gentile tap on the work surface helps )

8 Bake for 25-30 minutes until well risen, golden and firm to the touch.

9 Allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out and cool fully.

10 Sandwich together with jam and buttercream.

11 Whip the cream and icing sugar together to form a nice structural paste,

the icing sugar should help the cream to cling nicely to the sides of your cake.

12 and finally add the toasted almonds to the sides of the cake and top with strawberries