A moist layer of sweet apple greets the tastebuds at the bottom of each slice. 


I had a couple of large Pink Lady apples along with several eggs that really needed to be used by the end of this week, so I decided to incorporate them into an after school baked treat for my children. 

Since I was strapped for time, I needed a recipe that could be whizzed up without too much fuss but with a guaranteed result. I turned to Nigella Lawson’s recipe for Victoria Sponge as my base. This is my absolute favourite sponge recipe because it never, ever fails me. Plus there is no need to wait for butter to soften at room temperature as it can be melted in the microwave and then combined with all the other ingredients in either a food processor or with an electric beater – I used my faithful KitchenAid. 

This recipe lends itself to a little adjustment in terms of flavours. I have added raspberries and blueberries  to the batter in the past and even forked through oats and dark chocolate. This afternoon I added coconut for aromatic flavour and texture and those two apples snuggled in the midst of the cake as a welcome surprise. 

The delightful result of the added ingredients was a soft, delicious afternoon tea cake scented with apples, vanilla and desiccated coconut. Easy to slice and even easier to eat, this cake goes down a treat with tall glasses of cold, creamy milk.  There is no need for icing because the mixture is adequately moist and flavoursome. This makes it an ideal addition to school lunch boxes and I imagine the flavour and texture will be even more marvellous tomorrow. 

My newest niece, born only three months ago, is named Victoria and she is such a sweet and settled little one. Baking this particular sponge brings her to mind, so I now have an additional reason to smile whenever gather the ingredients for this particular bit of baking bliss. 

Coconut and Apple Scented Victoria Sponge
This quantity will make 2 large cakes to feed 16 people adequately. You can also have the size of the slices and feed an even larger crowd! 

I have changed Nigella’s recipe slightly to accommodate the additional ingredients and so this is my successful variation. 

Ingredients
450 g unsalted butter, melted
450 g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 large eggs
400 g self raising flour
50 g desiccated coconut
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons milk
2 x large apples, peeled and coarsely grated

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees on a conventional setting. Grease your tins with butter and line the base and sides with baking paper. I used 2 x 23 cm square spring-form tins with a depth of 8 cm. You can also use round cake tins but they MUST be deep and 23 cm in diametre. 

Put the butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs into your food processor or mixing bowl and beat until completely smooth and combined. TIP – I always break each egg into a cup, then add it to the mixing bowl just in case the shell disintegrates or there is something not quite right with the egg. It rarely happens but I prefer to take precautions rather than waste the entire batter.  

Add the remaining ingredients with the exception of the apples. Beat again until combined. I like to scrape down the mixture with a spatula from the edges of the bowl part way through beating, to ensure the batter is thoroughly mixed through. 

Scrape a quarter of the batter into the base of each tin and smooth to the edges. Grate an apple over the surface of the batter in each tin. I have included the photograph below as a guide. Add the remaining batter over the top of the apple. 


Place the tins into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the cakes are a deep golden brown and come away from the edges of the tins. 

Once the cakes have been removed from the oven, leave them in the tins to cool for about 20 minutes before slicing, serving and devouring.