Victoria Sponge Mini Cakes

http://www.sweet2eatbaking.com/victoria-sponge-mini-heart-cakes/

Ingredients:
For the Victoria sponge cake:

• 200g butter, softened
• 200g caster (superfine) sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted

For the filling:

• 150 ml double (heavy) cream
• conserve or jam

For decoration (optional):

• dusting of icing (powdered) sugar

1. Preheat your oven to 180℃/350℉/Gas Mark 4. Grease and flour your heart muffin pan, or cake tin. (see notes)
2. To make the Victoria sponge cake, cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time followed by a tablespoon of flour if it starts to curdle until all the eggs are combined. Add the remaining flour and vanilla extract and mix until just incorporated. If you will be tinting your cake mix, you will need to use gel food colourings and add it at this point until your desired shade is reached.
3. Pour the batter into your heart muffin pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If using a large cake tin, increase baking time accordingly.
4. Once baked, allow the cakes to cool in their tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack upside down and allow to cool completely. Once cool, wrap each cake in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1-3+ hours (15-25 mins in the freezer) until the sponge has firmed up.
5. Once firm, using a serrated knife trim any mounds from the tops of the cupcakes (this will be the bottom) then cut the cakes in half. Like making a sandwich, use a teaspoon and spread some of the conserve or jam onto both halves of the cakes. Pipe or spread whipped cream onto one half of the cake and use the other half to sandwich together. Repeat on all of the remaining cakes.
6. For decoration (optional), dust a little icing (confectioners’) sugar onto the top of the mini cakes.

NOTE: If you don’t have a heart shaped muffin pan, you can bake a regular large cake and use cookie cutters to cut out your shape(s).