Rose and Pistachio Victoria Sandwich

What a crazy summer it has been, Clinical Scientist training finished and today I registered at yet another uni to begin my PGCE. It’s been quiet on the blogging front (and even in the kitchen I am sad to say) due to finishing one training, undertaking a 3 month course ready for my next training alongside and all the fun summer brings. One particularly glorious summer’s day was spent undertaking a morning run with a friend and then guilt free brunch, endless tea and cake and lots of puppy cuddles. This was the cake I made and it was a big hit. I’d been dreaming this up in my head for some time and it was the perfect occasion. I based it on Mary Berry’s traditional Victoria sandwich recipe.

I’m obsessed with rose at the moment, whether it is in my shower gel, ice cream or baked goodies and I love the Middle Eastern touch of pairing it with pistachio and a hint of cardamom.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 225 g of caster sugar
• 225 g of self raising flour
• 2 tsp of baking powder
• 225 g of butter, at room temperature
• 0.25 tsp of freshly ground cardamom
• Good quality jam, I used Raspberry and Rose Verbena jam made by my fab sister
• 100 g of shelled pistachios, chopped (keep a quarter-a third aside to decorate)

Rose buttercream:

• 140 g of butter, at room temperature
• 240 g of icing sugar
• 1 tsp of rosewater
• a few drops of pink food colouring
• dried rose petals to decorate, optional

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C, then grease and line two 8 inch cake tins.
2. Put all the cake ingredients (except the jam and pistachios) into a mixing bowl and mix using an electric hand whisk, food mixture or by hand with a whisk if you’ve got the muscles!
3. Fold in the chopped pistachios
4. Split the mixture evenly between the two tins and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of them comes out clean (check after 20 mins). Swapping and rotating half way through may give a more even bake.
5. Remove the tins from the oven and leave on the side for a few mins to cool slightly, until removing the cakes from the tin to cool completely on wire racks.
6. Whilst the cakes are cooling make the buttercream by first beating the butter until smooth and then gradually mixing in the icing sugar. About half way through adding the icing sugar, add the rose water and food colouring. Add more food colouring later if needed.
7. Choose your top and bottom layer. Ice the top of your top layer of cake with buttercream (before assembling, trust me!) then place jam evenly on top of your bottom layer of cake.
8. Assemble the cake by placing the top layer of cake on top of the bottom layer and then decorate with rose petals and chopped pistachios.