Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe
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4.9
30 reviews
Excellent
Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe
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Looking for a foolproof Victoria Sponge Recipe? Use my easy method for the perfect buttery vanilla cake without any of the effort. Fill your Victoria Sponge cake with raspberry jam and whipped cream and expect everyone to ask for a second slice!
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Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 350 g | 12.3oz | 2 3/4 cups plain (all purpose) flour sifted
- 330 g | 11.6oz | 1 2/3 cups caster sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Liquid ingredients
- 200 g | 7oz | 3/4 cup + 1 heaped tbsp cold unsalted butter cubed
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 200 ml | 7fl oz | 3/4cup + 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
For the filling
- 480 ml | 2 cups COLD double cream (heavy cream with high fat content)
- 200 g | 1 cup icing sugar (powdered) sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 1 sachet powdered gelatine (OPTIONAL - SEE NOTES)
- icing sugar to dust
- 200 g | 7 oz raspberry jam softened
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Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Grease two 23cm | 9in cake tins with with a little butter and dust with flour (or spray with cake release). Line the bottoms of the tins with baking paper.
- Add the (sifted) flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to combine.
- Add the cubed butter and mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs / sand.
- Gradually add the eggs, mixing on low speed. If you are using a stand mixer then stop and wipe down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add the milk and vanilla extract and beat together. Stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula. Continue mixing for a couple of minutes until batter is completely smooth.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cake tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, the cake is coming away from the sides of the tin and is springy on top.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. If the cakes have domed while baking then level the bottom cake layer.
Assemble your Victoria Cake
- Whisk the cream, icing sugar and vanilla on low speed, increasing the speed to maximum gradually until you have firm peaks. If you need to stabilise the cream read the notes about how to add the gelatine.
- Mix the jam to soften then spread over the bottom cake layer. Pipe the whisked cream on top and sandwich with the second layer.
- Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.
Notes
- What are the ingredients in a Victoria sponge cake?
- Make sure the flour and baking powder are fresh, especially if you don’t bake often. Stale baking powder can ruin this otherwise very simple cake recipe. You will need:
- Sugar: ideally caster sugar. Caster sugar is finer than granulated but if you can’t find any simply blitz some granulated sugar in a food processor until the granules are smaller - but not so small that you end up with icing sugar!
- Butter: always use unsalted butter in baking recipes unless specified otherwise!
- Eggs: I always use large free range eggs
- Flour: plain / all purpose flour.
- Baking Powder: check the last time you used it… has it expired three years ago?
- Vanilla: I use vanilla paste but real vanilla extract is fine too
- Milk: whole milk or semi skimmed
- Icing Sugar (powdered sugar) to dust the cake
- Jam: traditionally it is raspberry jam but any berry jam can be used as it cuts through the sweetness. Or you can freestyle and use curd or marmalade.
- Double (heavy) cream: whisked with icing sugar and vanilla to create the filling. Some people prefer to use American buttercream as the filling as it allows the cake the last a bit longer. I find it a bit too sweet but use whatever you prefer.
- The secret to beautifully light but stable whipped cream is to put the mixing bowl and whisk in the fridge for 30 minutes before whisking. Make sure you whisk until you have firm peaks otherwise the cream will ooze out of the cake – not a good look!
- Make sure you use cream with the highest fat content you can find. Heavy cream in the US is lower in fat than double cream in the UK and other countries. (see below)
- If the day is really warm and you are worried about the cream not being firm enough you can add a little gelatine to help stabilise it.
- STEP 1. Sprinkle one sachet of gelatine powder over 2 tbsp of hot water in a small deep bowl. Stir to dissolve and then microwave for 10 second bursts until it is liquid.
- STEP 1. Sprinkle one sachet of gelatine powder over 2 tbsp of hot water in a small deep bowl. Stir to dissolve and then microwave for 10 second bursts until it is liquid.
- STEP 2. Add half of the liquid gelatine to the cream once it has reached soft peaks and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Don’t over whip the cream or it might curdle.
- STEP 2. Add half of the liquid gelatine to the cream once it has reached soft peaks and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Don’t over whip the cream or it might curdle.
- STEP 3. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip and chill for 20 minutes before using to pipe over the cake.
- STEP 3. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip and chill for 20 minutes before using to pipe over the cake.
- Sugar: ideally caster sugar. Caster sugar is finer than granulated but if you can’t find any simply blitz some granulated sugar in a food processor until the granules are smaller - but not so small that you end up with icing sugar!
- Butter: always use unsalted butter in baking recipes unless specified otherwise!
- Eggs: I always use large free range eggs
- Flour: plain / all purpose flour.
- Baking Powder: check the last time you used it… has it expired three years ago?
- Vanilla: I use vanilla paste but real vanilla extract is fine too
- Milk: whole milk or semi skimmed
- Icing Sugar (powdered sugar) to dust the cake
- Jam: traditionally it is raspberry jam but any berry jam can be used as it cuts through the sweetness. Or you can freestyle and use curd or marmalade.
- Double (heavy) cream: whisked with icing sugar and vanilla to create the filling. Some people prefer to use American buttercream as the filling as it allows the cake the last a bit longer. I find it a bit too sweet but use whatever you prefer.
- The secret to beautifully light but stable whipped cream is to put the mixing bowl and whisk in the fridge for 30 minutes before whisking. Make sure you whisk until you have firm peaks otherwise the cream will ooze out of the cake – not a good look!
- Make sure you use cream with the highest fat content you can find. Heavy cream in the US is lower in fat than double cream in the UK and other countries. (see below)
- If the day is really warm and you are worried about the cream not being firm enough you can add a little gelatine to help stabilise it.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
486kcal
(24%)
Carbohydrates
60g
(20%)
Protein
5g
(10%)
Fat
26g
(40%)
Saturated Fat
16g
(80%)
Cholesterol
114mg
(38%)
Sodium
220mg
(9%)
Potassium
218mg
(6%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
39g
(78%)
Vitamin A
935IU
(19%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
107mg
(11%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 14-16 slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 486 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 486kcal | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 60g | 20% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 26g | 40% |
| Saturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Cholesterol | 114mg | 38% |
| Sodium | 220mg | 9% |
| Potassium | 218mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 39g | 78% |
| Vitamin A | 935IU | 19% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 107mg | 11% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
30 reviews
Excellent
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