Victoria Sponge Cake
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A quintessential British dessert that has been enjoyed at tea time for ages, this Victoria Sponge Cake recipe is a classic! Rich buttercream and jam are sandwiched between two delicately soft and buttery sponge cakes for a simple yet elegant dessert. You also have the option of making one large cake or turning it into individual mini Victoria Sponge Cakes that are perfect for entertaining and for afternoon tea!
For more traditional British desserts be sure to try my Lardy Cake, Treacle Tart, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Spotted Dick, Cornish Fairings, Eccles Cakes and while not a dessert, no can resist these homemade Crumpets!
Victoria Sponge Cake: A Brief History
Victoria Sponge Cake enjoys a long and fun history. It’s associated with “afternoon tea,” a tradition going back many generations. The origins of afternoon tea trace back to none other than Queen Victoria and Anna the Duchess of Bedford who served as her lady-in-waiting (ie, personal assistant) for 10 years.
During her service to the Queen, Anna discovered that every day around late afternoon she would experience what we now recognize today as carb cravings. (Yes, most of us can relate.) So she started a personal tradition of setting aside that time of day with her servants to enjoy a cup of tea to help wash down a few sweet indulgences to hold her over until dinner. The idea gained popularity (no surprise!) and before long she began inviting guests to join her. Queen Victoria also began hosting lavish tea parties and guests were expected to attend wearing formal attire.
Soon a whole spectrum of tea-time desserts made their way into British food culture. Which leads us to today’s recipe. Queen Victoria particularly loved sponge cake filled with cream and jam (she had undeniably good taste there). It became her personal favorite, and so this cake was named Victoria Sponge Cake in her honor. It has remained a favorite throughout Great Britain ever since.
So what it comes down to, this long-held tradition of afternoon tea is simply the perfect excuse to indulge your sweet tooth in the middle of the day. But indulging in the guise of “afternoon tea” manages to turn what would otherwise be a primal-driven physiological carb-craving response into something refined and…”proper.” And that works for me.
This Victoria Sponge Cake recipe has the flexibility of making it into one large cake simply by baking it in Today I’m introducing you to another decadent sweet you can add to your repertoire of tea time indulgences. We’re going to add a modern twist to this very traditional British dessert. It’s Victoria Sponge Cake, in miniature form.
These Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes are perfect for your next chic tea party, bridal shower, birthday or other special occasion.
Victoria Sponge Cake Ingredients
The ingredients for Victoria Sponge Cake are few and simple, so be sure to use quality butter and vanilla extract. As with Scottish Shortbread, good butter is key.
For the filling, I’m providing recipes for two options: the classic whipped cream filling if you’re making the classic large cake, or a buttercream that’s especially suited to the mini sponge cakes if you’re piping it and makes them all the more dainty and decadent. But you can use either filling for either version.
Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe
Let’s get started!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans or a nonstick mini cheesecake pan.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each until incorporated.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until incorporated. Be careful not to over-stir or the cakes will be dense.
Divide the batter between the two cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula, or divide between the cavities of the mini cheesecake pan cups to the halfway point. Bake on the middle oven rack about 20 minutes for the cake pans or 12-15 minutes for the mini cheesecake pan or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean or the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed.
Allow the cakes to sit for about 10 minutes before transferring them wire rack to cool completely.
To make the whipped cream filling: In a medium mixing bowl add the chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until stiff peaks form.
To make the alternative buttercream filling (especially suited for mini Victoria sponge cakes): Beat together the butter, powdered sugar and milk until smooth. If the buttercream is too stiff, add a tiny amount of milk until a spreadable consistency is reached. If it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag with a medium or large round tip (optional for prettier decorating).
Place the two 8 inch cakes side by side. Generously spread a layer of strawberry or raspberry jam over the top of one of the cakes. Then top with the whipped cream. Place the second cake on top of the cream with the top facing up. Dust the cake with powdered sugar.
For mini Victoria sponge cakes: Once the cakes have cooled completely, slice them in half. Spread or pipe the buttercream onto the bottom half. Then spoon some jam on top of the buttercream. Place the top half of the cake on the bottom half. Dust the tops of the mini cakes with powdered sugar.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. Will keep for 3 days.
Enjoy!
For more traditional British bakes be sure to try my:
- Treacle Tart
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Spotted Dick
- Cornish Fairings
- Chelsea Buns
- Hot Cross Buns
- Welsh Cakes
- Mince Pies
- Scottish Shortbread
- Flapjacks
- Bara Brith
- Parkin
- Eccles Cakes
- Crumpets
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Victoria Sponge Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup quality butter , room temperature
- 1 cup caster or super fine sugar (or grind regular sugar in a blender or food process or until it's a fine texture but not powder)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs , room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk , room temperature
- Whipped Cream Filling:
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream , chilled
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon quality pure vanilla extract
- strawberry or raspberry jam
- powdered sugar for dusting
- Buttercream Filling (if making mini cakes):
- 1 stick quality butter , room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk , plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans or a nonstick mini cheesecake pan.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until incorporated. Be careful not to over-stir or the cakes will be dense.Divide the batter between the two cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula, or divide between the cavities of the mini cheesecake pan cups to the halfway point. Bake on the middle oven rack about 20 minutes for the cake pans or 12-15 minutes for the mini cheesecake pan or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean or the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed.Allow the cakes to sit for about 10 minutes before transferring them wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the whipped cream filling: In a medium mixing bowl add the chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until stiff peaks form. To make the alternative buttercream filling (especially suited for mini Victoria sponge cakes): Beat together the butter, powdered sugar and milk until smooth. If the buttercream is too stiff, add a tiny amount of milk until a spreadable consistency is reached. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag with a medium or large round tip (optional for prettier decorating).
- For mini Victoria sponge cakes: Once the cakes have cooled completely, slice them in half. Spread or pipe the buttercream onto the bottom half. Then spoon some jam on top of the buttercream. Place the top half of the cake on the bottom half. Dust the tops of the mini cakes with powdered sugar.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. Will keep for 3 days.
Nutrition
Originally published on Daring Gourmet August 7, 2014
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
This was delicious in its elegant simplicity with a great texture and flavor.
Thank you so much, Rhonda!
These were a disaster; sunk in the middle even though I folded in the flour and didn’t overmix. Made 26 and were very greasy/buttery. Stuck to the mini cheesecake pan even though I buttered…
Can these be frozen after they bake and then assembled later?
Yes they can, Kristine, just let them fully thaw first.
Can these be made a day or two ahead? Would you keep refrigerated and then put them together the day you are serving them?
Hi Cynthia, yes they can be made a day or two (at most) ahead and then put together before serving. Cake dries out in the fridge so keep it store at room temperature in an airtight container to help keep the cake moist.
salted or unsalted butter?
Hi Soom, it’s unsalted.
Forgot to add. You can use lots of different fillings for this. Traditionally it has raspberry jam but you can put what you like in it. I use fresh cream as I’m not keen on buttercream but the cake will have to be kept in the fridge. I often use lemon curd (home made) which is gorgeous or you can use any other flavour or just jam, there’s dozens of flavours to choose from.