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29 In Afternoon Tea

Victoria Sponge Cake

Victoria Sponge Cake | ForTheFeast.com #dessert #cake #teatime #brunch

Victoria Sponge Cake, An English Tradition

This simple cake is an English classic. You just need eggs, butter, flour, sugar and your favorite jam. The Victoria Sponge Cake was named after Queen Victoria. Around four o’clock the Queen would have tea with bread and butter since dinner was served later in the evening. She would invite friends over for the afternoon which became quite an event. The menus started to get more creative and this simple sweet sponge cake became her favorite.

A Traditional Victoria Sponge Cake consists of jam and double whipped cream sandwiched between two sponge cakes.  Typically the top of the cake is not iced or decorated but dusted with powdered sugar. If I am serving an afternoon tea I only dust it with powdered sugar.  Here are a few classic examples on Pinterest: Sponge Cake Examples.  I prefer to dress it up with whip cream and berries for special occasions

 

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Victoria Sponge Cake | ForTheFeast.com #dessert #cake #teatime #brunch

Victoria Sponge Cake

  • Author: Carrie Pacini
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 10 1x
  • Category: Desserts

Description

What’s interesting about this recipe is that it’s based on the weight of the eggs.
I used 4 eggs that weighed 200 grams. This measurement is used for the butter, sugar, and flour. To get this recipe in balance all of your main ingredients: sugar (200g), flour (200g) and butter (200g) all need to be the same weight.

Example: If your eggs weighed 250 grams then the sugar, butter, and flour also need to be 250 grams.  I recommend using a gram scale when baking, it’s easier to get recipes exact.

Victoria Sponge Cake Tips: 
1. Make sure eggs and butter are at room temperature.
2. Let the cakes cool before you place them together.
3. Slice the cake with a sharp knife and light hand.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 eggs (200g)
  • Caster sugar (200g or 1 cup)
  • Butter (200g or 7/8 of a cup or one cup less 2 tablespoons)
  • Flour (200g or 1 1/3 cup), sift flour after you measure it
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoonful of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • Any kind of jam (I like strawberry)
  • Powdered sugar for dusting
  • 2 Springform Cake Pans (Loose bottom cake tins)

Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups 500ml of heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar (or to your taste)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C.
  2. Butter and line the bases of 2 x 18cm (7in) cake pans with parchment paper.
  3. Place the flour into a small mixing bowl and stir in the baking powder.
  4. In another bowl cream the butter & caster sugar, add the eggs and continue to blend.
  5. Add flour and vanilla, continue to blend.
  6. Make sure the mixture slowly falls off a spoon when held sideways. If it doesn’t add a teaspoon of hot water.
  7. Divide the mixture between the 2 springform cake pans
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  9. Next, let them cool in the pans for a few minutes, then turn them out to cool completely on a wire rack.
  10. Spread the jam and whipped cream on one half of the cake and then place the other half on top.
  11. Dust the top with powdered sugar for a simple cake or dress it up with whipped cream and fruit for decoration.

Whipped Cream

  1. With a mixer beat the whipped cream until it starts to get thicker (about 2 minutes)
  2. Add the powder sugar and beat for another minute or 2 until desired consistency.

Notes

Adapted from Giuliana Orme

Keywords: Victoria Sponge Cake, Desserts, Cake, Sponge Cake

Check out my other Afternoon Tea Recipes

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29 Comments

  • Reply
    dina
    July 10, 2014 at 6:09 pm

    it looks gorgeous!

  • Reply
    Julie @ Lovely Little Kitchen
    July 13, 2014 at 1:01 pm

    Love the beauty and simplicity of this cake!

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      July 14, 2014 at 8:53 am

      Thank you Julie!

  • Reply
    Leah | So, How's It Taste?
    July 15, 2014 at 2:31 pm

    This cake looks stunning!

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      July 15, 2014 at 5:21 pm

      Thanks Leah!

  • Reply
    Megan
    July 18, 2014 at 10:40 am

    What a perfect summer dessert. Looks delicious!

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      July 18, 2014 at 10:50 am

      Thanks Megan!

  • Reply
    Allison
    July 22, 2014 at 11:09 am

    What a beautiful cake! Looks so summery and light -I need to follow your directions next time I bake, it looks straight out of a bakery :)

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      July 23, 2014 at 11:28 am

      Thanks Allison!

  • Reply
    Karen
    July 28, 2014 at 3:21 am

    I am an avid fan of Victoria Sponge and always weigh my eggs and then the rest of the ingredients, it’s how my grandmother used to make hers! Yours looks DIVINE with all of that fresh fruit and cream! Karen

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      July 28, 2014 at 2:22 pm

      Thanks Karen!

  • Reply
    Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron
    August 10, 2014 at 4:53 pm

    Looks delicious, especially with all that fresh fruit and whipped cream!

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      August 11, 2014 at 7:12 am

      It’s really a great cake. You can’t keep it simple with powdered sugar or dress it up with whipped cream.

  • Reply
    Julia | Orchard Street Kitchen
    August 18, 2014 at 8:27 pm

    What a pretty and colorful cake! All of that fresh fruit looks delicious. And as someone who loves English history, I like how you included how this cake got its name!

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      August 19, 2014 at 6:46 am

      Thanks Julia, I love English History too and find it all quite fascinating!

  • Reply
    Peggy
    September 7, 2014 at 9:47 am

    I have been toying with the idea of making a Victoria sponge cake for months. Thanks for the recipe Carrie.

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      September 7, 2014 at 10:41 am

      Hi Peggy, You have to try this one I think you will love it. Most days I just make it with a layer of jam. It’s perfect with tea.

  • Reply
    Suzanne
    August 26, 2016 at 8:26 am

    I have made this cake today for my mums birthday tomorrow I followed the recipe I also added chocolate powder everyone likes a chocolate cake so fingers crossed it tastes great and mother approves :) best thing is I am no good with scales so the cup measurements are much better for me ??

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      August 27, 2016 at 8:29 am

      I love the idea of adding the chocolate powder!

  • Reply
    Khadija Akram
    April 13, 2017 at 9:50 am

    its an amazing cake love it made it for my granddads birthday and he loved it. I also added grated chocolate for more deco
    I also used rasberry and apricot jam which made it taste amazing!!!!

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      November 3, 2017 at 4:59 pm

      Thank you!

  • Reply
    Andrea Wright
    March 25, 2018 at 2:12 am

    I have been using this recipe for a long time with great success, however the past few months every time I have tried it the cakes sink so u have had to go back to a conventional recipe. Any ideas why?

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      July 12, 2018 at 10:38 am

      The weather can affect your baking. Has it been more humid or dry?

  • Reply
    Subatra
    May 17, 2018 at 10:44 am

    I tried this today and it was a success! Thank you so much for the recipe! It was yummy!

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      July 12, 2018 at 7:12 am

      Thanks!

  • Reply
    Rachel G.
    May 28, 2018 at 8:02 am

    Making this for the first time, following instructions… and never added salt? Whoops! Assume I should have added to flour with baking powder?

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      July 12, 2018 at 10:42 am

      Did it turn out for you?

  • Reply
    Carolina Paez
    July 12, 2018 at 7:46 pm

    This is my family’s favorite cake! It is light and delicious. Thank you, Carrie, for your wonderful recipes!

    • Reply
      Carrie Pacini
      July 14, 2018 at 12:32 pm

      Hi Carolina! You are welcome, I am so glad everyone likes it :)

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