Victoria Sponge – Celebration Cake!
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A delicious classic bake – a Victoria sponge. Soft & light cakes, strawberry jam, vanilla buttercream & fresh strawberries!
Victoria sponge
Strawberry season isn’t quiiiite here yet, but I bought a packet anyway and they were surprisingly tasty! This led me to think I should 100% do something with them, but definitely not overdo them. So… I thought I would bake a classic! Funnily enough it is one of the simplest and yet most delicious classic cakes around!
When I was younger I used to think that this type of cake was boring – why would I want it if it’s not chocolate? But oh how naive was I. This cake is SO GOOD and one of the best cakes in the world. However, sometimes the simplest of things can be the most difficult to get absolutely perfect!
Layers
I find that with a Victoria sponge, it’s all about getting everything perfectly in proportion. Such as, if you’re making a two layered cake, everything should be 300g (i.e. the sugar, flour, butter and eggs) and same for if you were doing a larger cake – everything should be 400g! It makes it far simpler and generally provides a foolproof cake. This recipe is for a three layer, 8 inch cake – so for a smaller cake (two layers), simply reduce the cake ingredients to 300g, split the mixture into two tins, and bake for 20 minutes!
Eggs
I weigh out my eggs when making a cake like this so I have no doubts it’s going to work, and once you know your oven well enough you will know when is the perfect time to take the cake out of the oven and when it might need a tiny while longer in the oven!
Cream or buttercream?
This cake is traditionally served with fresh fruit and whipped cream, or jam and buttercream – its entirely up to you! Personally, when i’m making it last a bit longer, I use buttercream so that it stays fresh for longer – whereas the cream may go a bit icky, especially on a hot day!
Assemble
I tend to pipe my buttercream around the edge of each layer, then a bit more in the middle with my jam sitting on the top, it tends to not slide around this way! It also stops jam sliding down the sides so you keep the nice clean edges of the 3 layers of sponge. I use strawberry jam in this recipe however if you would prefer raspberry then why not?! Enjoy!
Victoria sponge - Celebration Cake!
Ingredients
Cake
- 400 g unsalted butter (softened)
- 400 g caster sugar
- 400 g eggs (roughly 8 eggs)
- 400 g self raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 tbsp whole milk
Decoration
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 450 g icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 175 g strawberry jam
- fresh strawberries
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC/170ºC fan and line three 20cm/8inch cake tins.
- In a large bowl, beat together the unsalted butter and caster sugar until combined.
- Then, add your eggs, whole milk, self raising flour and baking powder, and beat until combined again - but be careful to not over beat.
- Divide the mixture equally between the three tins and smooth it over.
- Bake for 25 minutes until the cake is golden and springs back (a skewer should also come out clean).
- Turn the sponges out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool fully.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Beat the unsalted butter with an electric mixer until it's smooth and loose.
- Then, gradually beat in the icing sugar & vanilla extract.
- If the icing is too stiff, add 1 tbsp whole milk at a time to get your desired thickness!
Decoration
- Spread or pipe the buttercream onto the top of one of the sponges, then spoon on half of your jam.
- Place the second sponge on top and repeat the process - finish with the third sponge, and any left over buttercream on top!
- Add some fresh strawberries, perhaps a sprinkle of icing sugar and serve!
Notes
- When decorating the cake, I like to pipe a small amount of the buttercream around the edge of the sponges, then put a little more in the middle with the jam on top - this stops it falling out all over the place, but this is simply my choice! 🙂
- This cake will last in an airtight container for 3 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months!
- I use this piping bag
- I use this Medium 2D Closed Star Piping Tip
- I use these 8" Cake Tin
ENJOY!
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Hi Jane, Your cakes and recipes are the most gorgeous things I’ve ever seen or tasted so thank you! For some reason the past couple of Victoria sandwich cakes I’ve baked have turned out looking more like biscuits than cakes! I’ve been baking for years and years and this has never happened before! Any ideas? Thanks, Boo xx
Hey! Ahh thank you! Have you made aaaany changes recently? such as brands of ingredients, different oven, different mixer etc? Honestly the smallest of things can have an effect! Xx
How much baking powder should I use for a 2 layer cake? Worried it may sink with 2tsp
For just a two-layer version I wouldn’t use any! You can use an optional 1/2tsp though if you want!
Just made this today for VE Day. The sponge was so light and fluffy but my god the icing was sweet. Amazing recipe, thank you!
American buttercream is naturally very sweet! So glad you liked the recipe.
Hello! Love your recipes!
Would you make any changes to this recipe to make it GF? Other than flour of course!
Would you use custard powder?
Thank you!
Vicky
Hey! You can either try the custard powder technique, or using xantham gum to help bind it! x
I bake all the time and have no idea how this has gone wrong, made three cakes from the mix put them all in same shelf same time and one came out perfect the others are wet around the edges and just aren’t right. Made the two again and the same thing happened, what could possibly be going wrong here? It’s the same exact mix how can this happen😭
Genuinely I have no idea, as one of them worked! Id have though maybe measuring was off? Maybe on the raising agent? Or your oven has a hot spot so one cooked fine, but the others needed longer?
HI would this recipe be suitable for a sheet cake that will be used to cut numbers for a cake version of the cookie number cake, am wanting to make a 90 cake but want vanilla sponge instead of cookie
Thanks
Hi Jane! Love your cakes! How much plain flour would I need to make this into a madiera cake? Im planning on doing a tiered cake. Thank you x
I actually just increase the self raising flour (see my wedding cake post) – Add in maybe 75-100g more!
Hi,
I’ve been looking at so many Victoria sponge recipes trying everyone but can’t seem to think what tastes better real butter or stork? Yes stork gives a lighter Sponge but butter adds a nice flavour? What do you recommend?
Either works absolutely fine – I swap and change with whatever I have for a cake sponge!
Hi,
Did you use unsalted butter or just normal butter?
Unsalted!
Hello,
If you were to adjust the cake recipe for a 6 inch or 10 inch using the CakeOmeter web link you mentioned in a previous comment, how would you work out how to adjust the cooking times? Thank you so much 🙂
Chloe
Hello. Can I use all purpose flour instead of self-rising flour? If so what other adjustments need to be made? Thank you!
Hi Jane
I need to make a vanilla sponge cake, I need 4
Sponges high how would I work out quantities
Please
Hi Jane. I was just wondering how long this cake will last after being baked and assembles, as I’m worried about the sponge drying out. Am I right in thinking to avoid refrigeration as that will make it worse? Thank you!! Love your recipes.
Yes, definitely don’t refrigerate! It’ll last 3 days at least, as mentioned in the tips section! X
Hi could I make the batter in advance for this 3 layer cake? For example make the cake mix on Monday evening, bake the layers Tuesday evening, decorate Wednesday evening…. for a Thursday birthday?
Thanks! Love your cakes!
Hey! I would say no – cake mix should always be used as soon as possible after baking otherwise it can cause the bake to not bake properly due to the ingredients reacting with each other. x
Hi, do you weigh eggs in their shells or out of the shells ?. thanks
I believe the traditional way is to weight in the shells!
i am wanting to make an 8″ cake with 4 thick layers, how would i amend this recipe?
Would you just use 500g for everything? and would you change the amount of milk and baking powder?
Thank you!