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
Victoria Sponge Cake
- 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
- 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
- Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C.
- Butter and line the bases of 2 x 18cm (7in) cake pans with parchment paper.
- Place the flour into a small mixing bowl and stir in the baking powder.
- In another bowl cream the butter & caster sugar, add the eggs and continue to blend.
- Add flour and vanilla, continue to blend.
- Make sure the mixture slowly falls off a spoon when held sideways. If it doesn’t add a teaspoon of hot water.
- Divide the mixture between the 2 springform cake pans
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Next, let them cool in the pans for a few minutes, then turn them out to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Spread the jam and whipped cream on one half of the cake and then place the other half on top.
- Dust the top with powdered sugar for a simple cake or dress it up with whipped cream and fruit for decoration.
Whipped Cream
- With a mixer beat the whipped cream until it starts to get thicker (about 2 minutes)
- Add the powder sugar and beat for another minute or 2 until desired consistency.
Notes
Adapted from Giuliana Orme
Check out my other Afternoon Tea Recipes!
29 Comments
dina
July 10, 2014 at 6:09 pmit looks gorgeous!
Julie @ Lovely Little Kitchen
July 13, 2014 at 1:01 pmLove the beauty and simplicity of this cake!
Carrie Pacini
July 14, 2014 at 8:53 amThank you Julie!
Leah | So, How's It Taste?
July 15, 2014 at 2:31 pmThis cake looks stunning!
Carrie Pacini
July 15, 2014 at 5:21 pmThanks Leah!
Megan
July 18, 2014 at 10:40 amWhat a perfect summer dessert. Looks delicious!
Carrie Pacini
July 18, 2014 at 10:50 amThanks Megan!
Allison
July 22, 2014 at 11:09 amWhat 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 :)
Carrie Pacini
July 23, 2014 at 11:28 amThanks Allison!
Karen
July 28, 2014 at 3:21 amI 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
Carrie Pacini
July 28, 2014 at 2:22 pmThanks Karen!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron
August 10, 2014 at 4:53 pmLooks delicious, especially with all that fresh fruit and whipped cream!
Carrie Pacini
August 11, 2014 at 7:12 amIt’s really a great cake. You can’t keep it simple with powdered sugar or dress it up with whipped cream.
Julia | Orchard Street Kitchen
August 18, 2014 at 8:27 pmWhat 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!
Carrie Pacini
August 19, 2014 at 6:46 amThanks Julia, I love English History too and find it all quite fascinating!
Peggy
September 7, 2014 at 9:47 amI have been toying with the idea of making a Victoria sponge cake for months. Thanks for the recipe Carrie.
Carrie Pacini
September 7, 2014 at 10:41 amHi 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.
Suzanne
August 26, 2016 at 8:26 amI 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 ??
Carrie Pacini
August 27, 2016 at 8:29 amI love the idea of adding the chocolate powder!
Khadija Akram
April 13, 2017 at 9:50 amits 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!!!!
Carrie Pacini
November 3, 2017 at 4:59 pmThank you!
Andrea Wright
March 25, 2018 at 2:12 amI 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?
Carrie Pacini
July 12, 2018 at 10:38 amThe weather can affect your baking. Has it been more humid or dry?
Subatra
May 17, 2018 at 10:44 amI tried this today and it was a success! Thank you so much for the recipe! It was yummy!
Carrie Pacini
July 12, 2018 at 7:12 amThanks!
Rachel G.
May 28, 2018 at 8:02 amMaking this for the first time, following instructions… and never added salt? Whoops! Assume I should have added to flour with baking powder?
Carrie Pacini
July 12, 2018 at 10:42 amDid it turn out for you?
Carolina Paez
July 12, 2018 at 7:46 pmThis is my family’s favorite cake! It is light and delicious. Thank you, Carrie, for your wonderful recipes!
Carrie Pacini
July 14, 2018 at 12:32 pmHi Carolina! You are welcome, I am so glad everyone likes it :)