Victoria Sponge Cake

About This Recipe

The Victoria Sponge is the quintessential British cake, named after Queen Victoria who famously enjoyed a slice with her afternoon tea. Two golden, pillowy layers of vanilla sponge sandwich a generous spread of strawberry jam and clouds of freshly whipped cream. Simple, elegant, and utterly satisfying, it is the benchmark against which all British baking is measured.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 225 gunsalted butter, softened
• 225 gcaster sugar
• 4 largeeggs, at room temperature
• 225 gself-raising flour
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 2 tbspwhole milk
• 150 gstrawberry jam
• 300 mldouble cream
• 1 tbspicing sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare tins and batter

   Preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Grease and line two 20 cm (8 in) round cake tins. Cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes with an electric mixer.

2. 2

   Add eggs and flour

   Beat in eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour with each to prevent curdling. Fold in the remaining flour, vanilla, and milk with a large metal spoon until just combined. Divide evenly between the tins.

3. 3

   Bake

   Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4. 4

   Whip the cream

   Whip the double cream to soft peaks using a whisk or electric mixer. Be careful not to over-whip.

5. 5

   Assemble

   Place one sponge on a serving plate. Spread with strawberry jam, then top with whipped cream. Place the second sponge on top and dust generously with icing sugar.

Variations

• •

  Replace strawberry jam with lemon curd for a tangy twist.

• •

  Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to the batter and use chocolate ganache for a chocolate Victoria sponge.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Best eaten on the day of assembly. Store unfilled sponges in an airtight container up to 2 days. Freeze unfilled sponges up to 1 month.

Frequently Asked Questions