I really love a slice of cake. In fact, I suspect that a good cup of coffee and a great slice of cake is my happy place. But faced with options, say something rich, something chocolatey, something piled high with fruit and cream, I will almost always opt for something simple. And it struck me that the archetypal simple cake, a Classic Victoria Sponge, was missing from the recipe archives here on the blog. A massive oversight on my part - sorry about that.
A classic Victoria Sponge is the cake that transports me to a National Trust café; it has me dreaming of an afternoon in a tea shop with newspapers and colour supplements or a rainy afternoon with a feel-good movie and a roaring fire. I am nothing if not a nostalgic dreamer!
So what is a Victoria Sponge?
It's a two-layered vanilla sponge cake, sandwiched together with jam and cream (or buttercream) and dusted with icing sugar on the top - the quintessential English teatime treat.
And why should everyone know how to make a Classic Victoria Sponge?
- It's quick and easy - that is, as long as you follow the recipe (remember baking is more of a science than an art).
- It's memorable - I don't retain many recipes in my head, but this is one that I do, although (and I'm showing my age here!) I can only remember it using measurements in ounces. I know it's old fashioned but the imperial numbers are much easier to remember (10oz butter, 10oz sugar, 5 eggs, 10oz flour.) See what I mean? God help me if digital scales stop being made with imperial measurements.
- It's a classic - the clue is in the name but you'd be amazed how many people say that they can't make one.
- It's incredibly versatile - you can change up the jam (I'm thinking of a homemade rhubarb and ginger jam (bought from a farmer's market - I never make my own)); you can fill it with whipped cream; you can add some sliced strawberries to the filling; you can put icing on top; you can put icing AND strawberries on the top; you can turn it into a birthday cake. The options are there and they are plentiful …
What have I learned from making a million Classic Victoria Sponges over the years?
- Use the correct sized tins - this recipe calls for two tins of 8 inch ( 20 cm) diameter. Any bigger and the cake will be thin and crispy; any smaller and it will either overflow or won't be properly baked in the middle.
- Line the tins - grease the tins (including the sides) and stick a circle of baking parchment on the bottom. You'll be pleased that you did.
- Preheat the oven.
- Bring your butter to room temperature - or do as I do and use margarine. I know it doesn't feel so wholesome but it makes a good cake.
- No need for a fancy cake mixer - I use an IKEA bowl and a cheap, handheld electric whisk. Works fine.
- Measure the ingredients carefully.
- Crack the eggs into a cup before adding them to the mixture - one dodgy egg broken straight into the mixture will destroy everything, including your day.
- Use your scales to divide the cake mixture between the tins - it's easier and more accurate than doing it by eye.
- Listen to your cake - stay with me here, honestly, I haven't lost the plot … When your cake is almost ready to take out of the oven, listen to it. If you can still hear a lot of bubbling, it probably needs a little bit of extra cooking. Sounds weird but it does work.
How did I decorate this Classic Victoria Sponge?
I used raspberry jam and a cream cheese frosting. I chose to pipe the frosting but you could equally spread it with a knife (put the jam on one cake and the frosting on the other to avoid a big mess of jam and frosting mixed together). I dusted with icing sugar - you can use a sieve if you don't have a shaker. The dusting disappears into the cake after a while so you may want to 'reapply' later.
So there you have it, a Classic Victoria Sponge using old-fashioned measurements but timeless flavours. I hope you enjoy it and that it brings a bit of sunshine to your day - with or without a National Trust café or your very own tea shop.
Happy baking x
Classic Victoria Sponge Cake
A two-layered vanilla sponge cake, sandwiched together with jam and butter cream and dusted with icing sugar on the top - the quintessential English teatime treat.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Oven-baked
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
For the cake -
- 280g (10oz) margarine or soft butter
- 280g (10oz) caster sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 280g (10oz) SR flour
- 1 tablespoon boiling water
For the filling -
- 2 heaped tablespoons jam (I used raspberry)
For the cream cheese frosting -
- 85g (3oz) cream cheese
- 50g (2oz) soft butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 450g (1lb) icing sugar
You will also need -
2 x 20cm (8") tins - preferably with loose bases
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F (gas mark 4).
- Begin by lining the tins. Draw around the base of the tin onto baking parchment and cut out 2 circles. Grease the base and sides of the tins with a little soft butter or margarine on some kitchen roll or baking parchment. Now 'stick' the baking parchment circles inside the 2 tins.
- Weigh the butter and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl. Now using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy and has become a lighter colour. This will take around 5 minutes.
- Break each egg individually into a cup (just in case any of them have gone bad - trust me it does happen). This also means it is easier to fish out any stray bits of shell. Add each egg, one at a time to the mixture.
- Now weigh the self-raising flour into a bowl and add this to the cake mixture.
- Beat the mixture until everything is well combined. You may need to use a spatula to 'clean' the edges of the bowl and to make sure that everything is thoroughly mixed.
- Now add a tablespoon of boiling water to the mixture and fold gently to combine.
- Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the centre is springy to the touch.
- While the cake is baking, get on with making the filling. Beat together the cream cheese, soft butter and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating after each addition.
- When the cakes are ready, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool in their tins for a few minutes or until the edges of the cake have shrunk a little from the tin. Now run a sharp knife round the edges of the tins to fully release them and carefully tip the cakes onto a cooling rack.
- Be sure that the cake is COMPLETELY cold before decorating it. Spread the jam on the bottom of one of the cakes and the cream cheese frosting on the other - the frosting will be rather stiff, so either pipe it on or spoon it on gently and then 'ease' the spoonfuls together until they meet. Sandwich the two cakes together and dust the top of the cake with icing sugar - use a sieve or an icing sugar shaker for this.
Keywords: classic, afternoon tea, English, sponge