Victoria Sponge
A classic British Victoria Sponge made with two light, soft sponge cakes sandwiched together with jam and finished with a sprinkling of caster sugar. This traditional recipe uses the creaming method for a simple, reliable sponge that's perfect for beginners.
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Servings: 8 slices
INGREDIENTS
- 225 g Soft Margarine (or Butter) (at room temperature; plus extra for greasing)
- 225 g Caster Sugar (plus extra for finishing)
- 225 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
- 4 Free-range Eggs (at room temperature; see Egg Size note below)
- Seedless Jam (raspberry or strawberry)
EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 170°C (150°C for fan-assisted oven, Gas Mark 3 or 325°F). Grease and line two 18cm (7 inch) sandwich tins with
greaseproof paper . Set aside. - In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy in both colour and texture.
- Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is mixed through before adding the next.
- Sift in the flour and gently fold to create a smooth batter of dropping consistency.
- Transfer the batter to your pre-lined tins and bake in your preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until risen, golden, and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely
- Once completely cool, sandwich the sponges with jam (and buttercream or freshly whipped cream, if desired). Top the cake with a generous sprinkling of
caster sugar before serving.
Don't worry if the mixture appears to curdle when adding the eggs - it will come together again once you add the flour.
To prevent your cakes from doming as they bake, you can use the back of a spoon to create a slight dip in the middle of the batter in the tins before baking.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
RECIPE NOTES:
Self-raising Flour: Don't have self-raising flour? For this recipe, simply whisk together 225g (1¾ cups) plain flour and 3 teaspoons of baking powder instead. If you bake regularly, you can also make a larger batch to keep in your baking cupboard. For full instructions, cup conversions and answers to common questions, see my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide.
Egg Size: When it comes to eggs, I always buy mixed-weight free-range eggs. Generally, egg size doesn't make a huge difference in most baking, unless you are using sizes that lean towards the extremes. If you're unsure which eggs to use, I recommend medium eggs in the UK, which are roughly equivalent to large eggs in the US. That's what this recipe has been tested with.
Optional Fillings: A traditional Victoria Sponge is filled with jam only, but I often add buttercream too. To make enough for this cake, beat together 150g butter or block margarine and 300g icing sugar (powdered sugar) until light and fluffy. Alternatively, add whipped double cream for a special-occasion version. If using fresh cream, keep the finished cake refrigerated and enjoy within 2-3 days.
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