Recipe: Chocolate-chip Vanilla Sponge Cake

INGREDIENTS
For the sponge:
3 eggs (60g x 3 = 180g)
180g caster sugar
180g salted butter at room temperature
180g self-raising flour
1 1/2 tbsps milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g milk chocolate chips

For the filling & decorations:
100g salted butter at room temperature
200g icing sugar
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
300ml double cream
3 tsps icing sugar
1 bag of Smarties
1 Crunchie

METHOD
1) Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees (fan) and line two cake tins with greaseproof paper.
2) First, make the sponge. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, e.g. with an electric hand whisk.
3) Whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla essence together in a separate bowl with a fork.
4) Beat the egg mixture into the butter/sugar mix a third at a time until completely combined, e.g. with an electric hand whisk.
5) Sift the self-raising flour into the mixture, a third at a time, folding in gently (with a spatula or wooden spoon) until completely combined.
6) Pour the half of the mixture (around 360g) into 1 of the cake tins.
7) Fold the chocolate chips into the remaining mixture then pour into another cake tin.
8) Bake for around 20min, checking with a toothpick to check when it's done (i.e. when poked through the centre, the toothpick comes out clean).
9) Run a butter knife around the edges of the tins. After leaving to cool for 10min, tip out onto a baking rack to cool completely.
10) With a large serrated knife, carefully slice each sponge in half.
11) Make the buttercream by beating together 100g butter with 200g icing sugar, the milk and vanilla essence until light and fluffy, e.g. with an electric hand whisk.
12) Add 3 tsps of icing sugar to the double cream and whisk until it forms soft peaks.
13) Starting with the chocolate-chip sponge and alternating with the plain vanilla sponge, layer the cake with just under 1/4 buttercream and 1/3 whipped cream between each layer. Spread the remaining buttercream on top.
14) Crumble a Crunchie onto the centre and decorate the edges with Smarties.

The twins helped choose the flavours and design of this cake, and we had it for their 5th birthday. 😋😋