Carolyn says: “The classic Victoria sandwich cake is the centrepiece of every garden party afternoon tea spread. There is no cake more regal than this! It was originally made for Queen Victoria, during whose incredible sixty-six-year reign the tradition of afternoon tea began to evolve. It is remarkable that despite how much the world has changed during the seventy-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the tradition of afternoon tea is ever more popular. Queen Victoria would have had her cake sandwiched together with raspberry jam and topped with a sprinkling of granulated sugar. I have filled this cake with strawberry jam, whipped cream and fresh berries, topped it with more berries and a few fresh rose petals, and then added some celebratory mini Union Jack bunting! It is a cake befitting Queen Elizabeth II, who is already the longest-reigning monarch in British history and in 2022, celebrates her Platinum Jubilee: seventy amazing years on the throne.”

Serves 8–10

Ingredients

For the cake: 

• 225g unsalted butter, at room
• temperature, plus more for greasing
• 225g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 free-range eggs
• 225g plain flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon boiling water

For the filling:

• 110g strawberry jam
• 180ml double cream, whipped
• 12 large strawberries,
• stemmed and sliced

For the decoration:

• 12 medium strawberries
• Handful of fresh rose petals
• Icing sugar, for dusting
• Mini bunting about 30cm long,
• 2 red-and-white paper drinking straws, and 2 thin wooden skewers

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter the sides of two 20-cm round cake tins and line the bottom of each tin with nonstick baking paper.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy and light in colour. Add the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a few spoons of the flour. Sift together the (remaining) flour and baking powder into the butter mixture and, using a large metal spoon or a rubber spatula, mix carefully just until all the flour mixture is evenly incorporated. Lastly, stir in the boiling water.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins. Using an offset spatula, smooth the surface of the batter in each pan, then make a small hollow in the centre so the top is flat when the cake layer emerges from the oven. Bake the cake layers for 20–25 minutes until the tops are golden and spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins on wire racks for 10 minutes, then invert the tins onto the racks, lift off the tins, turn the layers right side up and leave to cool completely.

To assemble and decorate the cake, trim the tops of the cake layers so they will sit flat, if necessary. Place a cake layer, top side down, on a serving plate. Spoon on the jam and spread gently to the edges. Top with the cream, again spreading gently to the edges, and finish with the strawberry slices, covering the cream evenly. Top with the second cake layer, top side up. Arrange the strawberries around the top edge of the cake, fill the centre with the rose petals, and then dust lightly with icing sugar. Secure each end of the bunting to the top of a straw-encased skewer and then pierce the skewers into either side of the base of the cake to finish.

Carolyn says: “Rather like giant dominoes, these chocolate sandwich biscuits, filled with a rich, crunchy chocolate filling, are a British classic loved by all ages. They can be made in many shapes and sizes. These are big enough to be a meal in themselves. This recipe, which was my mother’s, goes back almost eighty years, so it has been tested on many generations of children, including myself. Commercially made Bourbon biscuits are readily available, but it is worth the effort to make these at home, as they are so much better! Homemade Bourbons were always popular in the royal nursery.”

Makes 12 sandwich biscuits

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

• 115g soft butter
• 170g plain flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened
• cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons semolina or polenta
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 free-range egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 60g butter
• 130g granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened
• cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

To make the biscuits, preheat the oven to 200°C (Gas mark 6). Line two baking trays with nonstick baking paper or silicone mats.

In a food processor, combine the butter, flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and semolina and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the caster sugar, egg and vanilla and process just until the mixture comes together in a smooth dough. Do not overprocess or the biscuits will be very hard.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 6mm thick. Using a ruler, cut the dough into rectangles measuring 5 x 7.5cm. Lift away any scraps and set aside. Using a fork, prick each rectangle to make an attractive pattern of dots. Then, using an offset spatula, carefully transfer the rectangles to the prepared trays, spacing them about 2.5cm apart.

Gather up the scraps, press together, reroll, cut out more rectangles, decorate them with dots and add them to the trays. You should have 24 rectangles.

Bake the biscuits for eight to 10 minutes until firm to the touch. Leave to cool on the trays on wire racks for five minutes, then transfer to the racks and leave to cool completely.

To make the filling, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat, add the granulated sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla, and stir to dissolve the sugar and cocoa powder, mixing well.

When the biscuits are cool, turn 12 of them bottom side up on a work surface. Spread a generous amount of the filling on each overturned biscuit, dividing it evenly and spreading it to the edge. Top with a second biscuit, bottom side down, and press lightly to secure. The biscuits will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.

Chef’s note

These biscuits, which are always so popular with children, were first introduced in 1910 under the name Creola. The Bourbon name, dating from the 1930s, comes from the former French royal House of Bourbon

Carolyn says: “These small, rustic meringues have a thin, crunchy shell and a soft, chewy, marshmallow-like centre. The addition of freeze-dried raspberry powder to the traditional Parisian recipe imparts a refreshing hit of berry flavour that cuts through the usual sweetness of the meringue. These swirly, gluten-free bites add a lovely splash of colour to an afternoon tea spread.”

Makes about 30 small meringues

Ingredients

• 150g caster sugar
• 2 free-range egg whites
• 1 teaspoon raspberry vinegar or
• red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon freeze-dried
• raspberry powder
• 2–4 drops red natural food colouring

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with nonstick baking paper or a silicone mat.

Pour the sugar in a thin, even layer onto the prepared tray. Place the tray in the oven for about five minutes, just until the sugar begins to melt around the edges, then remove from the oven and set aside.

Lower the temperature to 100°C and leave the door slightly ajar to allow the oven to cool down.

While the sugar is heating, beat the egg whites. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form. With the mixer still on medium speed, sprinkle in the warm sugar, a spoonful at a time, beating after each addition until the mixture returns to stiff peaks. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, add the vinegar and beat on high speed for a few minutes. The meringue should be smooth, glossy and thick.

Sprinkle the raspberry powder onto the meringue, then add two drops of the food colouring and stir with a metal spoon to create lovely, vibrant red swirls throughout the meringue, adding another drop or two if needed. Do not mix in the powder and colouring completely.

Using two teaspoons, place small heaps of the meringue onto the prepared baking tray, spacing them about 2.5cm apart.

Bake the meringues for 30–40 minutes until they are dry to the touch and lift easily from the paper or mat. Leave to cool completely on the tray on a wire rack, then lift off the paper or mat. The meringues will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Chef’s note

This recipe is based on my favourite meringue formula of weighing the egg whites and then using double the amount of sugar. It is simple and foolproof. I heat the sugar first, as this helps it to dissolve in the egg whites and yield a beautifully glossy, light, stable meringue. The addition of vinegar is what gives these meringues a deliciously chewy centre. Before you begin beating the egg whites, make sure the bowl and beater are grease-free or the whites won’t thicken.

Tea at the Palace by Carolyn Robb, (£14.99, White lion Publishing) is out now