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Think about what a cake evokes in your own mind. A celebration, a holiday, a ceremony of sorts. So what a perfect addition to your afternoon tea, another ceremony full of tradition and time-honored convention.

Keep in mind that a cake need not be laden with themes and frosting flowers to make a lovely addition to your tea table. A simple pound cake, dusted with powdered sugar is a perfect compliment to any black tea. A cake spiced with cinnamon or clove provides the perfect stimulation for a fruit flavored tea. One would do well to serve up a smoky brew of Russian Caravan Tea or Lapsang Souchong with this month's recipe. The Victoria Sandwich Cake, filled with fruit jam and whipped cream is a very sweet cake and the smoky teas would cut through the sweetness well.

As Alexander Pushkin once said, "Ecstasy is a glass full of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth." In this spirit, August's recipe of the month is a lovely, light and sugarful cake.

Victoria Sandwich Cake

Serves 6 - 8

This is the classic cake to serve for English afternoon tea, but it tastes equally good with coffee.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup superfine sugar

2 large eggs

a few drops vanilla extract

1 cup self rising flour, sifted

1/2 cup superfine sugar

To finish

Jam, whipped cream and sifted powdered sugar

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract.

2. With a metal spoon, gently fold in the sifted flour. When it is all incorporated, divide the mixture equally between two greased and lined 7 inch shallow cake pans, leveling off the surface.

3. Bake in the center of an oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Test by pressing your finger gently onto the sponge; it should feel springy and leave no impression when the cake is done.

4. Leave to cool for a minute in the pans, then turn out onto wire cooling racks and carefully peel off the parchment or nonstick baking paper.

5. When cold, sandwich together with jam and whipped cream, and dust the tip with sifted powdered sugar.

Never underestimate the effect of small details. An important part of the tea ritual is a cotton cocktail napkin. Even the loveliest of paper napkins cannot equal the grace and style of a crisp and clean linen. And what better use of those antique cloth pieces from your grandmother or the latest trip to the antique mall. (By the way, if you haven't walked through the Antique Mall on Seventh and Juneau downtown, you are missing out!) Give it a try and you'll agree that it's a grace worthy of the time it takes to wash and iron them.

Now, if you are up for trying an even more special touch, how about learning a new napkin fold to decorate your table at the start? The fold described here is called "Slender Points" and produces a simple, yet charming result! The folded napkin can be placed on or beside a plate, in a glass, or slipped through a napkin ring.