How To Make A Victoria Sponge Cake

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What on earth is a Victoria Sponge Cake?

A Victoria Sponge cake consists of two light sponge cakes which are sandwiched together, with a layer of strawberry jam and cream in the middle. Sounds easy?. Well it is not a difficult recipe but it is all too easy to get this recipe wrong and end up with a cake that is heavy and unappetising.

As with most recipes there is a knack to creating the perfect food to eat and, hopefully, this "How To" will provide you with the knowledge.

Here is a little information that I have discovered about the history of this humble cake:-

The cake's inventor was Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, born in 1788. She was one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting, for about ten years. She is credited as being the creator of the concept of teatime. Teatime was created because the midday meal had become much smaller. The Duchess started suffering from "a sinking feeling" at about four o'clock every afternoon. Initially the Duchess simply had her servants sneak a pot of tea in to her, with a few breadstuffs to snack on. Once she was back in London the Duchess expanded her tea parties and always had an assortment of guests. The fare was usually small cakes, sandwiches and tea.

Queen Victoria followed the Duchess's lead and began having her own tea parties. By 1855 these tea parties involved guests wearing formal dress. The small cakes that were served became the Queen's favourite and so the Victoria Sponge was born.

Victorian Sponge Cake

Doesn't this photo, of a slice of Victoria Sponge cake, make you want to brew a great cup of tea, set about baking this cake and relax later, whilst scoffing this delicious cake?. Well, what are you waiting for?. Let's get busy in the kitchen.

Hints and Tips

Step 1

 

 HELPFUL ADVICE

  • The preparation time, for this cake, is less than 30 mins
  • The cooking time is between 10 and 30 minutes.
    •
  • The jam filling can be other flavours, but then the cake will not be a traditional Victoria Sponge cake. However the choice is yours. Blackcurrant or Raspberry Jam makes a tasty cake. So does Lemon Curd.
  • You can substitute double cream with whipped cream, butter cream or even crem`e fraiche.
  • Butter cream is tasty and easy to make. Try this recipe:-                   Buttercream

Simply beat the butter until it has a nice creamy consistency. Add icing sugar in three separate lots. Make sure that you beat well between each addition. Add a few drops of vanilla essence, for flavour  and mix thoroughly by stirring. The amounts depend on your personal taste but try:-

85g of softened butter.
175g of sifted icing sugar.
A few drops vanilla essence.

Adjust the amounts to taste once you have tasted the results.

Getting Started

Step 2

 

 

  • Heat the oven to either 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. 
  • Line two 18cm or 7inch cake tins with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.

Method

Step 3

 

 

  • Use a hand mixer to cream the butter and the sugar together until its is pale and smooth. Alternatively use a fork.
  • Beat in the eggs. 
  • Sift the flour over the mixture and fold in using a large metal spoon. To fold, stir in the shape of a 

      figure 8.

  • When it is ready the mixture should be of a dropping consistency. If it isn't, add a little milk, but not too much.
  • Divide the mixture evenly between the two cake tins and gently spread out with a spatula or flat bladed knife. 
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check if the cake is ready by inserting a skewer and seeing if it comes out clean.

When baking is complete

Step 4

 

 

  • Allow the cake to stand for 5 minutes before turning it out on to a wire rack to cool. 
  • When the cakes are cool sandwich them together with jam and cream.
  • If preferred add some fresh fruit in addition, or as a replacement, to the jam.
  • Lightly dust the finished cake with caster sugar or icing sugar if desired.

Victoria Sponge Cake

Simply Serve and Enjoy

Step 5

 

 

This recipe will make a cake that will slice into about ten to twelve average sized slices.

Let's Get Cooking

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Showing Comments 1 to 3 of 3

zteve t evans
Posted on: Nov 25, 09 at 08:48 PM
Ethel, Good clear intructions and very well set out. Thanks
Beth Anderle
Posted on: Jul 04, 09 at 02:26 AM
Oh, yum! You're going to cause me to put on weight!
Raven Lebeau
Posted on: Apr 24, 09 at 01:32 PM
Nicely done! Very clear instructions. The history at the beginning was interesting too.

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Victorias in all their glory

Things Needed

The ingredients you will need, in order to make a Victoria Sponge cake, in round baking tins sized between seven to eight inches, or about twenty centimetres, across are:-

For the Sponge Cake
175g or 4 ounces of caster sugar
3 Medium or Large Eggs, preferably Free Range for the improved taste.
175g or four ounces of self-raising flour.

175g or 4 ounces of unsalted Butter or margarine. Butter will give a richer flavour.

SugarEggs

FlourButter

For The Filling

3 tbsp of Strawberry Jam
500ml double cream

JamCream

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Two round sandwich cake tins around 20cms across.

Greaseproof paper.

Lard, fat or margarine.

Icing sugar or caster sugar for lightly dusting the finished cake.

 

Variations

Following the basic recipe given it is easy to adapt this recipe to make a:-

Chocolate or coffee cake version.

One that has various fillings such as jams, fruit or various creams.

Small individual cakes.

One that has an iced topping, perhaps with fruit added to the top.
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