Name: Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 200 g self-raising flour; 200 g caster sugar; 100 g unsalted butter at room temperature; 100 g cake margarine (such as Stork) at room temperature; 4 medium eggs (200g) at room temperature; 30 ml whole milk; 10 g premium vanilla paste; 150 g icing sugar + a little for dusting; 50 g unsalted butter at room temperature; 5 g premium vanilla paste; 100 g premium strawberry or raspberry jam, depending on preference

Have you ever struggled with a Victoria Sponge Cake recipe? Please don’t despair! It genuinely is one of the trickiest cakes to bake consistently. There’s no frosting to hide blemishes and the simple ingredients must be used in exactly the right quantity for the perfect bake. Get your tools and ingredients ready and dig out that novelty apron. You’re about to make an amazing cake just by following this simple cake recipe… This recipe will make 1 x 8" cake - 10-12 servings

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings 12

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Victoria Sponge:

200 g self-raising flour
200 g caster sugar
100 g unsalted butter at room temperature
100 g cake margarine (such as Stork) at room temperature
4 medium eggs (200g) at room temperature
30 ml whole milk
10 g premium vanilla paste

Ingredients for the vanilla frosting:

150 g icing sugar + a little for dusting
50 g unsalted butter at room temperature
5 g premium vanilla paste
100 g premium strawberry or raspberry jam, depending on preference

Instructions

Method for the Victoria Sponge:

Pre-heat the oven. If it’s a fan assisted oven, then 160C is fine. If not, then you want to be at 180C – 200C depending on your oven. Check our oven tips for home baking (insert link) for more info and Gas Mark conversions.
Prepare your cake tins by greasing with a little margarine and lining with greaseproof paper circles. TOP TIP: use a pencil to draw around the base of the tin to make the perfect sized circles.
Carefully weigh out ALL of the ingredients into the mixing bowl. Baking is a science so just throwing in some sugar or splashing in some milk won’t cut it I’m afraid.
Mix on the lowest speed until the flour is combined (this creates less mess) and gradually increase the speed to high. Mix on high speed for a minimum of 2 minutes or until there are no lumps and your cake batter is pale in colour.
Use the spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again to ensure you have a silky-smooth cake batter.
Weigh out half the cake batter (roughly 400g) into each prepared cake tin and then use your spatula to smooth the surface and make sure it’s nice and level.
Bake for 20 minutes or until well-risen and a light golden colour. If using top and bottom shelves in your oven, the bottom shelf may need a few minutes longer, especially if it’s not a fan oven. Please don’t be tempted to open the oven before they’re ready as this will result in your sponges sinking where they’re not yet cooked through.
When out of the oven, the cakes will cool faster on a wire cooling rack but this isn’t necessary. The cakes MUST be cool before you attempt to frost them.

Method for the vanilla frosting:

Weigh out all the ingredients in to a clean, dry mixing bowl. Don’t add any milk just yet.
Mix on the lowest speed until the icing sugar is combined and gradually increase the speed to high. If the frosting is too stiff, then add a little milk at a time until it is a firm but easily spreadable consistency. Needing milk or not much depends on the temperature of your ingredients and kitchen.
Mix on high speed for 2 minutes or until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
Choose the best looking of your two sponges and save this for the top.
Take the other sponge and position in the middle of your serving plate. Dollop all the vanilla frosting into the middle of the cake and use your spatula (or pallet knife if you have one) to generously spread the frosting all the way to the edges. This does take practice but it’s best to work from the middle and gradually push outwards whilst turning the cake.
Turn the other sponge upside down and apply the jam to the underside of it, using a similar method as above. TOP TIP: It really helps if you’ve already mixed the jam in a separate bowl and gotten rid of any lumps.
Carefully place the top sponge, jam side down on top of the frosted sponge. There’s no easy way to do this, just hold your breath and go for it!
Fill your sieve with a little icing sugar and carefully cover the cake with a fine layer. Tap the side of the sieve very gently at first as it might pour out quicker than you expect!

Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe