victoria sponge cakes + beer jam

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January 20th, 2012 at 4:28PM

victoria sponge cakes + beer jam

Yup, you read that right, beer jam! To explain…our friend Seth does a great web show called Beer Nation. He travels around the city, and the country, doing reviews on some great craft beer and spreads the word about it through his show. Last week, he came back from a trip and asked if I wanted some Victory Storm King Stout Fig Jam he picked up, maybe I could make something tasty with it. Of course I said yes, and did some research on some sweets with jam in them.

Bill Hock, creator of this awesome jam, has a great website you guys should check out. As soon as I opened it, I could smell the stout, which was a little surprising. I was expecting the fruit scent to over power the beer. I tasted it, and it was a great mix of the fig and stout flavor, not over powering in either direction. I decided the best thing to use this jam in would be a light cake that wouldn’t take away from the flavors, and wouldn’t confuse them with any other flavor.

Hence, the victoria sponge cakes!

Victoria Sponge Cakes

recipe from my baking addiction

ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) softened butter
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 tablespoon warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup jam
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin.

2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Starting and ending with an egg, alternate adding eggs and flour, beating until each is thoroughly incorporated. Beat in water and vanilla until just incorporated.

3. Spoon two heaping tablespoons of batter into each cup followed by 1 teaspoon of jam (do not stir jam to loosen). Top with 1 heaping tablespoon of batter, spreading to ensure jam is fully covered.

4. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cupcakes stand a couple of minutes; turn onto a wire rack to cool. When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar. Serve with tea and enjoy with friends!

It was a really light and fluffy cake, and the stout fig jam was a great contrast. Give these a try, and visit Seth at Beer Nation and Bill at The Fermented Gourmet Shop!