How to make a classic Victoria Sponge Cake, a popular British cake, traditionally eaten at afternoon tea. For all you cake lovers, this cake is a MUST!

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake. Easy recipe for how to make a classic Victoria sponge Cake, a popular British cake, traditionally eaten at afternoon tea.

Victoria Sponge Cakes are very popular in Great Britain. It's often made for parties, gatherings, tea parties and celebrations.

This recipe uses a basic Victoria Sponge ratio of ingredients. It's easy to remember because the quantities are always the same for each ingredient, so equal parts flour, butter and sugar, and the eggs, if weighed, would also equate to the same amount.

The leavening agent used is baking powder, so this gives a nice rise and texture of crumb to the cake.

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The recipe itself is straight forward and requires nothing fancy by way of equipment. So long as you have a bowl and a wooden spoon, you're good to go with mixing.

The trick to a good crumb is to not over mix the batter. You can then get a nice light cake as opposed to a brick!

Why is a Victoria sponge called Victoria sponge?

The Victoria sponge cake was named after Queen Victoria, who ate a slice of sponge cake with her afternoon tea.

The cake is characteristic with its 2 layers of sponge sandwiched in between with jam and cream, The cake is traditionally not decorated on the top but just given a light sprinkling of sugar.

Check out our handy Oven Temperature Conversion Guide!

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake. Easy recipe for how to make a classic Victoria sponge Cake, a popular British cake, traditionally eaten at afternoon tea.

What makes a good Victoria sponge?

Make sure all the cake ingredients are at room temperature before you start. Where possible, leave out on the worktop overnight.

Make sure the butter is not so soft it is almost liquid, so do NOT melt or soften in the microwave.

This will result in a very greasy/oily cake with a dense crumb.

How long will a Victoria sponge cake with fresh cream last?

Store a Victoria sponge in an airtight tin for up to three days. If filled with fresh cream, refrigerate for up to 2 days.

What is a sponge cake in Britain?

Sponge cake is a light cake made with eggs, flour, and sugar, sometimes leavened with baking powder.

The Victorian creation of baking powder by English food manufacturer Alfred Bird in 1843 allowed the addition of butter to the traditional sponge recipe, resulting in the creation of the Victoria Sponge.

Prep Time

20 Minutes

Bake Time

25 Minutes

Serving size

12

Ingredients

Cake ingredients:

4 Large Eggs, lightly beaten

8oz or 225g  Caster Sugar plus 1 Tablespoon for dusting cake

8oz or 225g  Self Raising Flour

2 tsp baking powder

8oz or 225g butter at room temperature

The filling:

8 oz or 240 g Fresh Whipping or Double cream

5 tablespoons of strawberry or raspberry jam

We haven’t added any powdered sugar to the whipping cream. If you have a sweet tooth, add 1 tablespoon to the cream. – The jam will add to the sweetness, but I know some of you like really sweet!

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F. 

2. Grease two 20cm/8in round baking pans, making sure you grease the base and up the sides. 

Then cut out 2 circles of parchment to line the base of each pan. 

*Note: If you do not have any parchment paper, then grease and flour the pans.

Victoria Sponge Cake, grease and line baking pans

3. Add all the cake ingredients to a large mixing bowl and combine using a wooden spoon or hand mixer. Be careful not to over mix as this will result in a dense, heavy cake. 

Cake batter consistency for Classic Victoria Sponge Cake.

Combine until the cake batter resembles yogurt and will fall off the spoon. 

4. Equally distribute the cake batter to the 2 baking pans and using the back of a spoon or spatula, gently smooth the surface so the batter evenly spread.

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake, cake batter in baking pans

5. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. Check with a cake tester to see if it comes out clean. If so, the cakes are done. 

Sponges baked and resting in pans

Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then turn out on a cooling rack and allow to completely cool. 

Cakes on cooling rack

6. To assemble, place one cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Then take a palette knife and spread the jam evenly on top of the cake. 

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake, adding jam

7. In a mixing bowl, add the whipping cream and whisk until the cream is thick and will not fall off the whisk. 

*Be careful not to over whisk as this will cause the cream to turn in to butter. Keep an eye on it and check the consistency often until you reach the point where the cream just starts to hold.

8. Spread the whipped cream on top of the jam layer

Victoria Sponge Cake, adding cream layer

and then place the second cake on top of the whipped cream as you can see in the photos. 

Victoria Sponge Cake, adding top cake layer

9. Finally, lightly sprinkle some sugar over the top of the cake

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake, showing powdered sugar on top layer

10. Refrigerate for at least 3 -4 hours to allow the cake to firm up before slicing. 

Recipe Card

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake. Easy recipe for how to make a classic Victoria sponge Cake, a popular British cake, traditionally eaten at afternoon tea.

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake

Yield: 10
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake. Easy recipe for how to make a classic Victoria sponge Cake, a popular British cake, traditionally eaten at afternoon tea.

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients:

  • 4 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 8oz or 225g  Caster Sugar plus 1 Tablespoon for dusting cake
  • 8oz or 225g Self Raising Flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 8oz or 225g butter at room temperature

The Filling:

  • 8 oz or 240 g Fresh Whipping or Double cream
  • 5 tablespoons of strawberry or raspberry jam

Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F. 

2. Grease two 20cm/8in round baking pans, making sure you grease the base and up the sides. 

Then cut out 2 circles of parchment to line the base of each pan. 

*Note: If you do not have any parchment paper, then grease and flour the pans. 

3. Add all the cake ingredients to a large mixing bowl and combine using a wooden spoon or hand mixer. Be careful not to over mix as this will result in a dense, heavy cake. 

Combine until the cake batter resembles yogurt and will fall off the spoon. 

4. Equally distribute the cake batter to the 2 baking pans and using the back of a spoon or spatula, gently smooth the surface so the batter evenly spread.

5. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. Check with a cake tester to see if it comes out clean. If so, the cakes are done. 

Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then turn out on a cooling rack and allow to completely cool. 

6. To assemble, place one cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Then take a palette knife and spread the jam evenly on top of the cake. 

7. In a mixing bowl, add the whipping cream and whisk until the cream is thick and will not fall off the whisk. 

*Be careful not to over whisk as this will cause the cream to turn in to butter. Keep an eye on it and check the consistency often until you reach the point where the cream just starts to hold.

8. Spread the whipped cream on top of the jam layer and then place the second cake on top of the whipped cream as you can see in the photos. 

9. Finally, lightly sprinkle some sugar over the top of the cake

10. Refrigerate for at least 3 -4 hours to allow the cake to firm up before slicing. 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 12
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 376Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 459mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 5g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate

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