Another favorite, a British classic that everyone always loves. A simple sponge cake with a rich and royal history, definitely a tea time treat!

This cake is probably the first cake I learned to bake during my teen days at school. Easy and simple, fresh and tasty, it’s a true delight every time.

The cake itself is light and airy, created using a mix of sugar, butter, eggs, flour and baking powder. Then sandwiched together with strawberry jam (typical British filling) and whipped fresh cream. Dusted with caster sugar or powdered sugar. I used fresh strawberries here in this recipe, a modern version.

Now the way to measure up the ingredients for the Victoria sponge is interesting, you need to weigh the eggs in their shells and then use the same weight for the butter, sugar and self raising flour. Easy as that! 

This cake taste best when it’s fresh but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Making the cake

Preheat oven to 338 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring the butter and eggs to room temperature. Weigh 3 large eggs in their shells and then weigh all the other ingredients to the same weight as the eggs. So the butter, sugar and flour should weigh the same as the eggs. In a large mixing bowl using a hand whisk cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. 

In a small bowl crack the eggs and whisk together with a fork. Add the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture in three intervals. Mix together.

In another bowl sieve in the flour, baking powder and salt, add this into the wet ingredients. Using a spatula fold in the ingredients scraping down the sides of the bowl and bringing the mixture together, adding in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Then add in 2 tablespoons of milk to get the mixture to be nice and smooth, almost mousse like. 

Grease two 8 inch cake tins with parchment paper and butter or cooking spray. Divide the batter into the tins, spreading it right to the edges and smoothing out the top with a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes. After 20 minutes you can insert a skewer to see if the skewer comes out clean, otherwise bake for few more minutes. Your cakes should be nice and lightly golden.

Leave them on a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes. Run a small knife around the around the edge of the cakes and flip them out carefully.

Making the filling

Measure 300 ml of heavy whipping cream, add 3 teaspoons of sugar and beat with electric whisk until soft peaks.

Sandwiching the cakes

Choose your best cake to use for the top, lay the other cake on your cake stand and spoon half a cup of strawberry jam or preserve on the top and gently smooth over the cake. For the fresh whipped cream to make it easier you can transfer the cream into a piping bag and pipe the cream mixture over the jam layer. You could also smooth the cream out with a palette knife or leave just as. Then place the other cake on top and dust with powdered sugar and decorate with fresh strawberries. Serve and enjoy! 

Victoria sandwich cake

Recipe by Shema Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6-8

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Easy Victoria Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs at room temperature  (mine weighed 199g)

• 199 grams unsalted butter at room temperature 

• 199 grams sugar

• 199 grams self raising flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• Sprinkle of salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons of whole milk
  

• For the filling

• Half a cup of strawberry jam/preserve

• 300 ml heavy whipping cream
  

• 3 teaspoons of sugar

• Powdered sugar to dust over cake

• A few fresh strawberries to decorate

Directions

• Preheat oven to 338 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl using a hand whisk cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
  
• In a small bowl crack the eggs and whisk together with a fork. Add the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture in three intervals. Mix together
  
• In another bowl sieve in the flour, baking powder and salt.
  
  
  
• Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing together using a spatula, also adding in the vanilla extract
  
• Add in 2 tablespoons of milk to get the mixture to be nice and smooth almost mousse like 
  
  
  
• Grease two 8 inch cake tins with parchment paper and butter or cooking spray. Divide the batter into the tins, smoothing the top with a spatula 
  
• Bake for 20-25 minutes. After 20 minutes you can insert a skewer to see if it comes out clean, otherwise bake for few more minutes
  
• Leave them on a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes
  
• Run a small knife around the around the edge of the cakes and flip them out carefully
  
  
  
• Using a electric whisk beat heavy whipping cream and sugar until soft peaks
  
• To sandwich the cakes together, place one of the cakes on a cake stand and spoon half a cup of strawberry jam or preserve on the top and gently smooth over the cake
• For the fresh whipped cream to make it easier you can transfer the cream into a piping bag and pipe the cream mixture over the jam layer
• Place the other cake on top and dust with powdered sugar and decorate with fresh strawberries
• Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• Best to eat this cake fresh, any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.