Coronation Recipes

We all love a party and I've got some luscious Coronation recipes ready for the big day.

On Saturday 6th May King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla will be crowned in Westminster Abbey, London. The UK will be in full celebration mode and London will come alive with pomp and pageantry.

Whether you're holding a street party or just want to treat yourselves I've got a good collection of Royal recipes that span nearly 200 years.  

Royal Victoria Sponge Cake          

The Victoria Sponge was named after Queen Victoria, who regularly ate a slice of sponge cake with her afternoon tea.  

It was the Victorian invention of baking powder which allowed the addition of butter to the traditional sponge resulting in the creation of the Victoria sponge. This is the recipe from the Buckingham Palace chefs!

Ingredients:

3 eggs
150g caster sugar
150g unsalted butter
150g sieved self-raising flour
1/2 tsp of vanilla essence
Jam (strawberry or raspberry)

Buttercream to fill the cake:

150g softened unsalted butter
220g sieved icing sugar
1 tspn vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 180C (375F, gas mark 4) and grease and line two 8 inch cake tins. Cream the sugar, vanilla essence and softened unsalted butter until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs then, a little at a time to avoid the mixture curdling, add to the creamed mixture.

Sieve the flour and fold into the mixture, divide the cake mix between the 2 cake tims and smooth. Place on middle shelf of the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the cake appears golden brown. Insert a skewer and ensure it comes out clean. Remove the sponges from their tins and leave to cool. 

Assemble the cake: Cream the softened butter with the sieved icing sugar, add vanilla essence. Ensure both cakes are completely cold before spreading a layer of jam on the surface of one sponge. Spread a thick layer of buttercream on top of the jam and gently place the second sponge on top. Press down gently. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with a pot of fresh English tea!

Coronation Chicken 

This recipe is an all-time favorites and was created for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. Although it is often used as a sandwich filling nowadays, at the time it was a luxury. Post-War rationing was still in place in the UK and it was some time before chicken became an everyday ingredient.

This is a very easy recipe for using up roast chicken and could serve 4 - 6 as part of a salad lunch. It's the perfect dish for summer lunch parties, picnics and/or Coronations! 

• 6 Tbspn mayonnaise
• 3 tspn milk curry powder
• ½ tspn ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbspn Mango chutney
• 3 Tbspn sultanas/chpd apricots
• 500 gm cold chicken bite sized

Mix the mayonnaise, curry powder, cinnamon, chutney and sultanas/apricots together and season with black pepper. Add the shredded chicken and stir to coat in the sauce. Stir in 2 tbsp water to loosen if needed, then season and serve as desired. 

Coronation Quiche 

The Coronation Quiche has been personally chosen by the King and Queen, in the hope that it will be a centrepiece to many a coronation 'Big Lunch' at street parties and community events on 6th May.

Ingredients: 

• 250g plain flour 
• 50g cold butter diced
• 50g butter or shortening
• 4 Tbsp milk plus a splash
• Or 250 g ready made shortcrut pastry

Coronation Cake - a fun and easy traybake

My thanks to US food blog www.easypeasiefood.com for this fun traybake. Want to cut corners I'm sure you could find a rectangular ready made cake in store! 

Vanilla Traybake Cake

• 350 g butter or marg, softened
• 350 g caster sugar
• 6 large eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 350 g self-raising flour
• 4 tablespoons milk

Union Jack Icing and Decoration

• 150 g butter or marg softened
• 300 g icing sugar sieved
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 300 g blueberries 
• 100 g raspberries 
• 400 g strawberries top cut flat 

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4/350F. Grease and line pan 33 x 23cm. In large bowl beat togethe butter and sugar thoroughly, 'til pale. Add in one egg at a time and stir until it's completely mixed in before adding the next one. 

Add vanilla extract and stir to ensure it's evenly mixed, add in half flour and stir gently 'til mixed, add remaining flour, stir gently 'til mixed in. Add 4 Tbspn milk and stir 'til mixed in. 

Tip mixture into lined pan, smooth the surface and put cake into preheated oven for 35-40 mins. After 35 mins remove from oven and check to see if it's done using skewer inserted into the center of the cake. If the skewer is clean, it's cooked. If covered in batter return to the oven for a further 3 mins and test again. 

Allow the cake to cool in tin for 10 mins, then turn out and allow to cool completely, approx 1 hour.  

When the cake is completely cold, put the softened butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat together 'til smooth. Trim top of the cake if necessary so you have a good flat surface. Smooth icing over the cake as neatly as possible, finally use the fruit to create a Union Jack flag. You may need to have slightly more berries than quantity mentioned.