This Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe is a classic teatime treat in England and, thanks to the Great British Bake Off, it has become popular all over the world! A quick sponge cake that is sandwiched with buttercream and jam, everyone can make it and everyone will love it!
What is a Victoria Sponge?
Victoria Sponge is a classic British treat, commonly served at teatime, that is made of two light sponge cakes sandwiched with jam and either whipped cream or buttercream.
It is also sometimes called a Victoria Sandwich or a Victoria Cake. This cake is sliced into 'sandwiches' and served with other treats along with tea and coffee.
Do I need Baking Powder in my Victoria Sponge?
Traditionally, Victoria Sponge Cake is made with self raising flour, which already contains baking powder. But this Victoria Sponge cake recipe contains additional baking powder to ensure a light and well-risen sponge.
Without the additional baking powder, every recipe seems to produce a dense and short sponge.
A general rule of thumb when adding baking powder to plain flour is to add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to each cup of all-purpose flour.
Since this cake uses self-raising flour that already has some baking powder in it, we will add less but it is definitely needed because the high amount of fat in the sponge needed a little extra lift!
How do you make a Light and Fluffy Sponge Cake?
Creaming the eggs and sugar together well is the key to a light sponge. The sugar crystals will cut into the butter and create air pockets. In the oven during baking, these air bubbles expand which creates lift in the sponge.
I recommend creaming the sugar and butter for at least 3 minutes before adding the eggs. Whisking the eggs slightly before adding them to the creamed mixture will allow them to incorporate more easily without loosing the air that you have whipped into it.
NOTE: The butter should be soft enough to make an impression in it when you poke it with your finger without being greasy.
Buttercream or Whipped Cream??
It is impossible to say if a traditional Victoria Sponge should have buttercream or whipped cream in the center! A lot of research has gone into this and the answer is split!
I've googled it, I've read recipe after recipe, and I've eaten multiple samples at tearooms in England and they are split 50/50!
The reason that I decided to use buttercream this time is because I made it for a friends' girlfriend, who is British and has been missing her favorite cake!
Since the cake would not be refrigerator for several hours and would not be served until much later in the day, I felt that buttercream was the best option. Whipped cream would have been too soft, even if I stabilized it.
She loved the cake, by the way!
How to scale this recipe
Victoria Sponge Cake is probably the easiest cake you will ever make! It is also amazingly easy to scale to whatever size cake you need.
The basic recipe for a Victoria Sponge is to take the number of eggs you want to start with. Three eggs will make a small, 6 inch cake and 6 eggs will make a tall 8 inch.
Once you have your eggs, weigh them in their shells. Write down the weight of the eggs. Now measure out the same amount of butter, self-raising flour, and granulated sugar.
And there you have a basic Victoria Sponge!
Adding a little extra baking powder, vanilla extract, and lemon extract are optional but help to create the best result.
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Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 grams unsalted butter softened
- 300 grams granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs at room temperautre
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of one lemon
- 300 grams self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Buttercream and filling
- 150 grams unsalted butter softened
- 220 grams powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup strawberry or raspberry jam
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two 8 inch pans by spraying with non-stick spray. Line the bottom with a parchment paper circle and flour the sides of each pan.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the self-raising flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs briefly. Slowly add a little bit of the eggs at a time. Mix after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon zest and mix until incorporated.
- Gradually add the flour mixture with the mixer on low speed. Once all of the flour has been added, mix for an additional 20 seconds.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Spread the batter into an even layer in each pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center of the cake.
Make the Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter for 2 minutes. Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
- Pipe or spread the buttercream on the bottom layer of cake. Spread on the jam and place the second cake on top. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Add fresh strawberries if desired.
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