Gluten Free Sponge Cake

This is basically a victoria sponge recipe with gluten free flour and a bit of xanthan gum. I vary it sometimes by adding lemon zest for a lemon sponge, mixed fruit and spices for a fruity sponge, and different icing or fillings depending on the occasion. It is very versatile, and extremely quick and simple, even with a toddler pulling on your legs!

Ingredients
8oz Gluten Free Self Raising Flour
8oz Caster Sugar
8oz Margarine
4 Eggs
2 tsps Baking Powder
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
8oz Gluten Free Self Raising Flour
8oz Caster Sugar
8oz Margarine
4 Eggs
2 tsps Baking Powder
1 tsp Xanthan Gum

Preheat oven to about 180C and grease two 7 inch cake tins. (Actually, I use a variety of tins so sometimes we have a two-tiered cake and sometimes a bigger, flatter one. Just keep an eye on it in the oven if it is a different shape or size.)
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix for a couple of minutes until it is all well blended. If you are adding dried fruit or spices then stir them in after mixing. Divide the mixture into the tins and place on a middle shelf of the oven. Cook for about 25 mins until the centre feels springy to touch and the edges start to come away from the sides. Leave to cool slightly in the tins and then turn onto a wire rack to finish cooling before icing.
Watch as your small child manages a grown-up sized piece despite not wanting any dinner...
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix for a couple of minutes until it is all well blended. If you are adding dried fruit or spices then stir them in after mixing. Divide the mixture into the tins and place on a middle shelf of the oven. Cook for about 25 mins until the centre feels springy to touch and the edges start to come away from the sides. Leave to cool slightly in the tins and then turn onto a wire rack to finish cooling before icing.
Watch as your small child manages a grown-up sized piece despite not wanting any dinner...

This cake has been an absolute lifeline for me. I was horrified at the thought of no more cake when my allergy popped up over ten years ago. Now I don't feel left out at birthdays or Christmas or even just at home for afternoon tea. The shop-bought gluten free cakes are so expensive and lots of gluten free recipes are over complicated and use weird, exotic-sounding ingredients like tapioca flour and buckwheat, which are hard to get. I have found the best results from literally just swapping normal flour for the Dove's Farm gluten free flour and adding one teaspoon of xanthan gum, and normally, people do not realise they are eating a gluten free cake. Hooray!