SERVES 10-12

Ingredients

175g/6oz softened butter
175g/6oz caster sugar
3 medium free-range eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
175g/6oz self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

For decoration:
5-6 tablespoons apricot jam
75g/3oz unsalted butter
175g/6oz icing sugar
3 drops vanilla essence
Sprinkles or other cake decorations

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First grease and line the sandwich tins. Place 1 tin on 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper and draw round it, then cut out the circles. Grease the inside of the tins with butter and then put the paper circles in the bottom.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 375°F/ gas mark 5. Put the sugar and butter into a mixing bowl and beat together until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla essence and beat again until the mixture is smooth.

Sift the flour into a bowl. Then add it into the mixture and mix well.

Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and smooth the top with a palette knife. Bake them in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until risen and golden on top. Test to see if the cake is done by pushing a wooden skewer in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean then they’re ready.

Leave the cakes to cool for 5 minutes then take them out of their tins and put them on to the wire rack. When they are completely cool, slice them into 3 layers across the centre with a sharp knife.

Spread 2 tablespoons apricot jam on 3 of the slices of cake. Arrange them on top of each other, with the layer without jam on the top.

To make the icing, put the butter and icing sugar into a bowl and beat until creamy. Add the vanilla essence and 1 tablespoon water. Beat until the mixture is smooth, thick and spreadable. If it’s too thick, add another tablespoon of water.

Spread the icing all over the cake with a palette knife and then add sprinkles or other cake decorations.

Extras
For a chocolate cake, add 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour. For the icing, add 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder and an extra tablespoon of water to the mixture.