Persian Victoria sponge cake with raspberries and rose recipe

Our Persian Victoria sponge cake with raspberries and rose is delicate, fruity and a lovely modern twist on the classic.

Flavoured with lemon, pistachios, raspberries and rosewater, this takes the classic Victoria sponge and elevates it to a whole other level. Plus it's so beautiful, it's bound to wow your guests. Perfect for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day, it's also a great summer bake for birthdays or garden parties, because it's pretty but still sophisticated. It's not much more complicated to make than a traditional sponge cake and take about an hour, but allow for cooling time before you decorate. 

Ingredients

• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• 225g plain flour
• 4 medium eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• zest of 1 lemon
• 50g pistachios, chopped
• freeze dried raspberries and dried rose petals, to decorate

For the filling:

• 1tbsp seedless raspberry jam
• 150ml double cream
• ½tbsp icing sugar
• ½tsp rosewater
• 2 tsp dried rose petals, optional
• 150g punnet of raspberries

For the icing:

• 100g icing sugar, sieved
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp rose water
• a few drops of pink food colouring

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4. Line 2 x 20cm/8” cake tins. 
2. Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Add in the egg a little at a time until mixing between inclusions. Finally fold in the flour and baking powder followed by the lemon zest and pistachios. Evenly split the mixture into the two tins and bake for 30 mins.
3. When the cake is cooked transfer onto a cooling rack to cool, once cool begin preparing the filling and icing. Pick the least perfect cake and place upside down onto a cake stand or serving plate. Spread over the raspberry jam. 
4. Whip the cream with the tbsp of icing sugar until thick but not too firm. Add the rosewater and petals and mix through until it will hold a peak. Spread over the jam leaving a little space at the edge. 
5. Press in the raspberries into the cream, reserving a few for decoration on top of the cake. Put the other layer of cake on top.
6. To make the icing: mix the ingredients together, if too thick add a little water to make a consistency like runny honey. Pour over the centre of the cake. Once the icing has settled top with the decorations.

Top tip for making Persian Victoria sponge cake with raspberries and rose

Test the cake is cooked by pressing the centre, if the cake bounces back it’s ready to take out, if not give it a little longer in the oven.

You might also like...

• Victoria sponge cake
• Mary Berry's Victoria sponge cake
• Valentine's Day cakes