Victoria Sponge
This Victoria Sponge is an absolute classic recipe, filled with whipped cream, strawberry jam and topped with a dusting of icing sugar.
Jump to Recipe
Baking Basics
I have over 300 recipes on my blog now from cakes to cookies and no-bake recipes in every flavour imaginable, but I don’t have any ‘basic’ or ‘beginner’ recipes. So, I thought it was time I changed that and kicked off 2025 with this classic Victoria Sponge Cake.
I have so many basic recipes coming this year so keep an eye out for the new series. Perfect, if you would like to bake more, or give it a try for the first time.
Victoria Sponge
There is a lot of different ideas as to what a ‘classic’ Victoria sponge is, I have gone with what I believe the classic recipe is. To me, a Victoria sponge is two layers of sponge cake, with freshly whipped cream and strawberry jam filling and a dusting of icing sugar.
Others believe that a classic Victoria’s Sponge has vanilla buttercream in the centre, buttercream and jam, just jam or is filled with fresh fruit. The beauty of this recipe is that it can be adapted to fit how you like your Victoria sponge.
All Victoria sponge cakes have the same five main ingredients, butter, sugar, flour, eggs and baking powder.
Related Recipes
The butter in this recipe can either be unsalted butter or a baking spread like Stork. Whenever I make a cake I always use a baking spread as I find that it makes a much lighter sponge.
There are a few different methods to measure your eggs, which I will go into more detail about below. But I always use large eggs in my recipes.
In this recipe, I also used self-raising flour and baking powder. Self-Raising flour already has a raising agent added but I always add more baking powder. That way I get a lovely rise on the sponges.
Eggs
So whenever I am baking a cake I always use 1 large egg for every 50g of sugar I use. So for example, this recipe has 325g of sugar so I used 7 large eggs.
This isn’t the only way to weigh out your eggs. Another method to get the correct egg/sugar ratio is to weigh your eggs in the shell and then match the remaining ingredients to their weight.
For example, in this recipe, I recommend using 325g of sugar, flour and butter and 7 large eggs. However, if you weigh 7 large eggs in their shell and it actually weighs 336g you would then use 326g of sugar, flour and butter.
Both methods work absolutely perfectly for baking this cake, it is just purely personal preference as to which method you use.
Baking
I split the cake mixture between two 8″ cake tins and baked them in the centre of my preheated oven.
Preheating the oven before you begin baking is such an important step. It ensures that the cake bakes evenly throughout in the correct time.
It is also important when it comes to food safety as it ensures that the ingredients in the cake are in the danger zone for as little time as possible. Helping to reduce the chance of ending up with a food-related illness.
Every oven is different so you may find that your cake bakes slightly quicker or takes slightly longer. The cooking length is a recommendation only and is based on how long I baked the cake.
If you are unsure about your oven, you could buy an oven thermometer just to ensure that it is running at the correct temperature. Some ovens can run as much as 20 degrees higher or lower than what you set them to.
Filling
As I said above, everyone has different opinions on the filling for a Victoria sponge but I have gone with what I prefer. Which is freshly whipped cream and strawberry jam.
I whisked the cream up with a tablespoon of icing sugar (completely optional, but it does make it slightly sweeter) until it held stiff peaks.
I decided just to spread it onto the bottom layer of my cake rather than pipe it on but the decoration is completely up to you.
Before I added the jam, I softened it slightly in the microwave for 20 seconds, and I spread it on top of the jam before adding the top layer of the cake.
Alternatives
If you want to make a Chocolate Victoria Sponge just remove 50g of self-raising flour and replace it with cocoa powder.
To make the filling vanilla buttercream instead of whipped cream beat together 100g of unsalted butter with 200g of icing sugar and 1tsp of vanilla extract until thick and creamy.
Equipment
*I earn a small amount of money if you buy any of these products. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting A Spoonful of Vanilla.
Pin it For Later!
Victoria Sponge
Ingredients
For the Victoria Sponge
- 325 g Unsalted Butter or Stork
- 325 g Caster Sugar
- 325 g Self-Raising Flour
- 7 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
For the Filling and Decoration
- 300 ml Double Cream
- 3-4 tbsp Icing Sugar (optional)
- 200 g Strawberry Jam
Instructions
To Make the Victoria Sponge
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C Fan). Line two 8” cake tins with greaseproof paper and leave it to one side.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add in the flour, eggs and baking powder. Whisk until all the ingredients are combined.
- Split the mixture between your two cake tins.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. You will know they are ready when they are springy to touch.
- Leave them to cool in the cake tin for 15-20 minutes and then remove and put them on a wire rack to cool fully.
To Make the Filling
- Whisk the double cream in a large bowl with 1 tbsp of icing sugar (optional) until the double cream is thick and holds its own shape.
- Soften the jam in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.
- Spread the whipped cream and strawberry jam onto the cake. I did cream and then jam but it is completely up to you which order you fill the cake.
- Add the second cake on top and dust with the remaining icing sugar.
Notes
- This cake will last 1-2 days in the fridge.
- The cake needs to be kept in the fridge because of the cream, however, the longer it is in the fridge the more the cake will dry out.