10 Years in England | Slow Living, Garden Tea & Beloved British Cake

Video Description

Welcome back to our cosy slow living vlog England 🌿☕✨ This week, we’re celebrating 10 years living in England with a peaceful weekend at home — filled with moments of reflection, gentle cooking, and a quiet village walk. Life slows down when the rain falls, and we begin the vlog waiting for the summer showers to pass, surrounded by the soft sounds of the garden. When the sun returns, we enjoy a cup of tea under the trees — a moment of calm and light. To mark this special milestone, I bake a healthy strawberry sponge cake, inspired by the classic British Victoria Sponge but made without sugar — soft, delicate, and perfect for afternoon tea in the garden. Later, we prepare a simple summer sandwich using farm-fresh eggs and colourful seasonal vegetables — quick, nutritious, and full of flavour. We also take a gentle walk through St Mary’s, Hampshire, a charming rural English village with thatched cottages, quiet lanes, and the soothing rhythm of nature at sunset. These slow rituals — baking, walking, sharing food — are how we find calm, nostalgia, and presence in daily life. This vlog is all about finding serenity in simple routines, cooking from the heart, and connecting with nature, even in the smallest ways. 0:00 – A slow preview of what's to come – cosy days, baking, and countryside walks 00:16 – Waiting for the rain to stop – a quiet start to the weekend 00:53 – Sunshine returns – tea and calm in the summer garden 02:14 – No-sugar Victoria Sponge recipe with strawberries – the perfect British teatime cake 09:12 – Afternoon tea in the garden – enjoying our homemade cake together 10:44 – Quiet countryside walk – St Mary Bourne Hampshire – rural England charm 15:54 – Back home – making a healthy summer sandwich with fresh eggs from the local farm 19:38 – Enjoying the perfect seasonal sandwich – light, fresh, and full of flavour 🍓 Victoria Sponge Cake – Classic British Recipe (with Sugar) 🧁 Ingredients (for two 20cm round tins) 300g unsalted butter (softened) 300g caster sugar 6 medium eggs 300g self-raising flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) Strawberry jam (around 150g) 400ml double cream, whipped Icing sugar to dust 600g fresh strawberries (optional for topping or middle) 👩‍🍳 Instructions Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line two 20cm round cake tins. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well. If the mixture curdles, add a little flour. Sift in the self-raising flour and baking powder. Fold gently until smooth. Divide mixture evenly between the tins. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden and springy to the touch. Cool completely. Spread jam on one sponge, top with whipped cream and sliced strawberries (optional). Sandwich with the second sponge and dust with icing sugar. 🍓 My Version – No-Sugar Victoria Sponge Cake with Strawberries 💚 Ingredients (refined sugar-free & lighter) 300g unsalted butter (room temperature) 200g xylitol (or sweetener of your choice) 6 medium eggs 300g self-raising flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) 1 tsp cinnamon (my personal twist) 400ml double cream (sweetened with erythritol or left natural) Homemade berry jam (no sugar) 600g fresh strawberries Powdered xylitol to dust 🍰 Steps (same method as above) Same preparation method and oven settings. The result: a lighter, naturally sweet version of a British classic – ideal for summer tea outdoors. #slowliving #britishcountryside #lifeinengland #teatime #mindfulmoments #britishclassics #teacakerecipe #sugarfreebaking #strawberrycake #rurallife #cottagelife #afternoontea #simpleliving #easydinner #charmingvillages #countrywalks #homebaking #slowmoments #peacefulliving #bakingathome