One of the most sought-after recipes for bakers is that of the Victoria Sponge Cake!
This classic cake dates back to the time of Queen Victoria, which the royal patron very much enjoyed.
The cake has three elements-vanilla sponge, also called the Victoria sponge, whipped cream and strawberry jam!
The name Victoria sponge was given in honour of the royal Queen Victoria when a victorious invention of baking powder was made and put in a cake recipe.
Yes, baking powder was invented by a British food manufacturer Alfred Bird in 1843. As the Queen started to enjoy her high tea, the cake was introduced to the high tea menu and soon became a regular dessert.
The sponge is considered soft as eggs, and baking powder gives a very fluffy texture to it. The cake is strong enough to hold any filling and yet soft as it has adequate air bubbles for softness.
The sponge is classically paired with whipped cream and strawberry jam. With time, the sponge is used in many decorative and celebratory cakes.
Victoria Cake Recipe Video Tutorial
Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
- Classic recipe: the recipe is easy to follow, and with simple steps, you get to bake a classic sponge recipe. This is one of the most used cake recipes for different celebration cakes.
- Easy to assemble: the cake is not very elaborately decorated. It’s simple yet elegantly designed. The assembly is pretty easy to follow.
- Flavorsome: the cake has the best combination of classic vanilla and strawberry. Everyone loves this pairing.
Important Ingredients Used In Victoria Sponge Cake
The sponge has just six ingredients which makes for one of the best sponges.
The main ingredients, which are butter, sugar, eggs and flour, all go in the same ratio (similar to pound cake). It’s the addition of baking powder that differentiates it from the pound cake, making it softer.
- Salted Butter: salted butter is one of the main ingredients in the cake that provides a buttery flavour. It goes in a high ratio, making the fat content high in the cake. It adds moisture and tenderness in the sponge.
- Castor Sugar: castor sugar, when beaten with butter, helps to trap the air bubbles that we need so that the cake is soft.
- Eggs-the sponge gets its hint of colour, moisture and aeration from a high quantity of eggs. It’s a classic recipe that contains a staple ingredient, which is the egg.
- Baking powder: the king of the ingredients for this cake is baking powder. This was the first cake where the baking powder was added, and since then, it has become a significant ingredient for almost all sponge recipes! The softness baking powder provides from the reaction of the powder with liquid which creates carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide makes air bubbles and makes the cake rise high and hence soft.
How To Make Victoria Sponge Cake
- Prepare the sponge: we will use the creaming method to make the sponge. Butter is beaten with sugar until it’s quite light and fluffy. Then eggs are added, and finally, the rest of the ingredients. The creaming method ensures a good amount of air is incorporated into the batter.
- Make the jam: skip using the store-bought jam and make your own strawberry jam easily at home. simply cook fresh strawberries with sugar, cream of tartar and lemon zest until it thickens. this will only take a few minutes. once it reaches the desired consistency, let it cool down before using.
- Whipped Cream: Along with jam, we have whipped cream as well. So whip non-dairy whipping cream till soft peaks, and you are done.
- Assembly: there is no need to cut layers from the sponges as we will be stacking whole cakes as a single layer. Place the sponge layer first, soak with soaking syrup and pipe the whipped cream. Add a layer of jam and pipe blobs of whipped cream on the edges. Repeating the same for the rest of the layers, we will get the cake ready in no time.
- Garnish: remember to garnish your products as it makes the baked goods appealing. We will be decorating the cake with fresh strawberries and blueberries.
Chef’s Tips For The Recipe
Mix Dry Ingredients in Batches
Sift the flour and baking powder and add in batches so that there are no flour pockets left in the batter.
Piping Tip
Pipe thick blobs on the edges to be visible from the outside.
Substitutes
Use vanilla essence in place of paste in whipped cream if the paste is not available. Also, You can skip applying neutral glaze if you want.
How To Store The Cake?
Store the assembled cake in the fridge and consume it within 3 days.
For just the sponge, cling wrap it and refrigerate for up to a week and for a month in freezer.
The strawberry jam can be stored in a glass jar in refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
Leftover whipped cream should be stored in an airtight box in the refrigerator. consume it within 3 days.
More Easy Recipes
Try our other recipes like Mini 4-inch Cake and Blueberry Chocolate Cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Victoria cake not spongy?
Why is my Victoria sponge soggy in the middle?
Why is my Victoria sponge dry?
Should you store Victoria sponge in the fridge?
What should the consistency Victoria sponge mix be?
Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe with Strawberry Jam
Start your baking journey by making one of the classic cake recipes- The Victoria Sponge and pair it with delicious homemade strawberry jam along with whipped cream.
- Total Time: 50 to 65 minutes
Ingredients
For sponge:
- 225 g All-Purpose Flour
- 1.5 tsp Baking powder
- 225 g Castor sugar
- 225 g Eggs
- 225 g Salted butter
- 1.5 tsp Vanilla essence
For Strawberry Jam:
- 150 g Fresh strawberries
- 125 g Castor sugar
- 1/4 tsp Cream of tartar
- Zest of 1 Lemon
For Layering:
- 200 g Non-dairy whipping cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste
- 200 g Strawberry jam
- Fresh strawberries (sliced)
For Garnish:
- Fresh strawberries cut in halves
- Fresh blueberries
- Neutral glaze
Instructions
For sponge:
- Preheat the oven at 180c (otg mode: upper rod + lower rod + fan). Grease and line 3 round 6-inch tins with butter paper.
- In a bowl, beat butter till it is pale and fluffy.
- Add Castor sugar and cream until the butter becomes airier.
- Now add in the eggs gradually along with vanilla and beat again
- Lastly, fold the sifted flour and baking powder into the mixture in three batches. Mix well.
- Divide the batter equally into three tins.
- Bake at 180C (otg mode: lower rod only) for 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the centre.
For Whipped Cream:
- In a mixing bowl, take cold non-dairy whipping cream and add vanilla bean paste to it.
- Start beating and continue till you get soft peaks. This could take 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle.
For Strawberry Jam
- Cut each strawberry into 4 parts.
- In a heavy bottom pan, put the Chopped strawberries along with castor sugar.
- Add cream of tartar and lemon zest.
- Turn on the heat and the let the sugar melt.
- Once sugar is dissolved, use a hand blender to make the mixture into a puree.
- Keep cooking for 5-7 minutes while stirring regularly.
- Once the jam gets thick, test the doneness using back of the spoon. If the jam covers/sticks to the back and does not drop then the jam is done.
- Transfer the jam into a piping bag once it cools down.
Assembly
- Demould the sponges and cut the dome from all three using a serrated knife.
- Now place one sponge on a turn table and pipe some whipped cream at the centre.
- Now add some strawberry jam over the cream.
- Pipe blobs of cream all over the edges and then place sliced strawberries on them.
- Put the second sponge layer and repeat the same method of layering.
- Place the third layer and pipe the blobs of cream on the edges and some cream in the middle.
- Decorate the top with slices of strawberries and fresh blueberries.
- To give the strawberries a shine, brush some diluted neutral glaze on them using a pastry brush.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes