Mary Berry has an easy Victoria sponge cake recipe that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes, baking in as little as 10 minutes.

With its light, airy texture and delicious layers of jam and cream, it's the perfect treat for afternoon tea or a special celebration.

BBC Food shared this absolute classic from The Mary Berry Story, which has the perfect balance of simplicity, flavour and texture.

They stated: “Mary Berry's easy Victoria sponge cake recipe is a baking classic and a tasty tea-time treat.”

When made as per the instructions, this recipe serves 12 and can be frozen for up to six months if wrapped in cling film or freezer bags.

Mary Berry’s easy Victoria sponge recipe

Ingredients

Four eggs

225g caster sugar, plus a little extra for dusting the finished cake

225g self-raising flour

Two tsp baking powder

225g butter at room temperature, plus a little extra to grease the tins

To serve

Strawberry or raspberry jam

Whipped double cream (optional)

Method

Begin by heating your oven to 180C (160C if using a fan oven) or gas mark four. Prepare two 20cm round cake pans by greasing them and lining them with baking paper.

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl, then add the sugar, flour, baking powder, and butter. Use an electric hand mixer to blend everything together until smooth, but be careful not to overmix.

Alternatively, you can mix by hand with a wooden spoon. To prevent the bowl from sliding around while you mix, place a damp cloth underneath it. The batter should have a consistency that allows it to drop off a spoon with ease.

Next, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. There’s no need for perfect accuracy here, but if you like, you can weigh the pans to ensure they’re equal. Use a spatula to scrape every last bit of batter from the bowl and smooth the tops of the cakes gently.

Bake the cakes on the middle rack of the oven for about 25 minutes, checking after 20 minutes. They’re ready when they turn golden-brown and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. You can also test by lightly pressing them – they should bounce back, indicating they’re done.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for five minutes. After that, carefully loosen the edges of the cakes using a palette or butter knife, then flip them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

To assemble the cake, take one of the cakes and place it upside down on a plate. Spread a generous amount of jam over the surface, and if desired, add a layer of whipped cream on top of the jam.

Finally, place the second cake on top, right-side up, and dust the top with caster sugar to finish.