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My friend Margaret grew up in England, and she says that if you set a Victoria sponge filled with whipped cream in front of a judge at a British village show, the judge will mark you down before she picks up a fork. The cake is named for Queen Victoria, who is said to have liked a slice with her afternoon tea, and for well over a century it has been the cake every British baker is measured by. Village shows still have a class for it, and the rules are strict: two layers, raspberry jam, a dusting of sugar. No cream, no frosting, no fruit arranged on top.
The old British method is lovely in its simplicity. You weigh the eggs in their shells, then use the same weight of butter, the same weight of sugar and the same weight of flour. Four eggs come to about 225 grams, so it is 225 grams of each, which in American cups is a cup of butter, a cup and two tablespoons of fine sugar and a cup and three quarters of self-rising flour. The butter and sugar are beaten until pale and fluffy, the eggs go in one at a time, the flour is folded in gently, and the sponge bakes up light, buttery and even. Margaret says cream is for people who do not trust their sponge.
Why this Victoria sponge works
- Equal weights. The same weight of butter, sugar, flour and egg gives a balanced, buttery crumb that is light but sturdy enough to hold jam.
- Five minutes of beating. Long creaming of the butter and sugar traps the air that lifts the cake. Short creaming gives a flat, dense sponge.
- Fine sugar. Superfine sugar, what the British call caster sugar, dissolves into the butter and gives a finer crumb than regular granulated.
- Folded flour. The flour goes in gently, by hand, so the air you beat in stays in.
- Jam only. Jam keeps at room temperature and lets the butter flavor of the sponge carry the cake.
Ingredients
Makes one 8 inch two-layer cake, about 10 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets, the grams being the traditional British weights.
For the sponge
- 1 cup unsalted butter (225g), very soft
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar (225g)
- 4 large eggs (about 225g in their shells), at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups self-rising flour (225g)
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
To fill and finish
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam (160g), seedless or with seeds
- 1 tablespoon superfine sugar, for the top
No self-rising flour? Use 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (225g) whisked with 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. No superfine sugar? Pulse regular granulated sugar in a blender for 30 seconds.
How to make Victoria sponge
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease two 8 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment.
- In a large bowl, beat the soft butter and the 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until very pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. If the mixture starts to look curdled, add a spoonful of the flour with the next egg.
- Sift in the self-rising flour and fold it in gently with a large spoon or spatula, just until no flour shows. Fold in the 2 tablespoons milk to loosen the batter to a soft dropping consistency.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sponges are golden, springy when pressed lightly in the center, and just pulling away from the sides of the pans.
- Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- Set one sponge upside down on a plate and spread it with the 1/2 cup raspberry jam. Lay the second sponge on top, right side up, and sift the 1 tablespoon sugar over the top.
Tips that make the difference
- Everything at room temperature. Cold eggs into soft butter is what makes the batter curdle.
- Weigh the batter into the two pans on a kitchen scale, Margaret’s trick, so the layers come out exactly the same height.
- Do not open the oven before 18 minutes. A sponge that is checked too early sinks in the middle.
- Put the top layer right side up, so the domed, golden top is what everyone sees under the sugar.
Variations
- Jam and cream. The version Margaret pretends not to make at home: whip 1 cup heavy cream with 1 tablespoon sugar and spread it over the jam. Keep it in the refrigerator.
- Strawberry jam. Strawberry is the second most common filling in Britain and just as correct.
- Lemon. Add the finely grated zest of one lemon to the batter and use lemon curd instead of jam.
- Cupcakes. Bake the batter in 18 paper-lined muffin cups for 15 to 18 minutes, split them and fill each with a little jam.
Storage and make-ahead
A jam-only Victoria sponge keeps at room temperature under a cake dome or in an airtight tin for 2 to 3 days. It is at its best on the day it is made.
If you fill it with cream, keep it in the refrigerator and eat it within a day.
The unfilled sponges freeze well for up to 2 months, wrapped in plastic and foil. Thaw them at room temperature, still wrapped, and fill on the day.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called a Victoria sponge?
It is named for Queen Victoria, who is said to have enjoyed a slice of this sandwich cake with her afternoon tea. In Britain it is also simply called a Victoria sandwich.
Is a Victoria sponge supposed to have cream?
The strict British show rule is jam only, with sugar on top. Many families at home add whipped cream or buttercream with the jam. Both are good cakes; only one wins a ribbon.
Why did my sponge sink?
Usually the oven door was opened too early, the butter and sugar were not beaten long enough, or the eggs were cold and the batter split. Beat for the full 5 minutes and keep the door shut until at least 18 minutes.
What is self-rising flour?
All-purpose flour with baking powder and salt already mixed in. To make your own, whisk 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour with 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Two sponges, a jar of good jam and a spoonful of sugar. Margaret says that is the whole of British baking in one cake, and I have stopped arguing with her.
Victoria Sponge Cake (The British Way: Jam Only, Sugar on Top)
The classic Victoria sponge the way British show judges still want it: two butter sponges baked in 8 inch pans at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, raspberry jam in the middle and a dusting of fine sugar on top. US cups with grams.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (225g), very soft
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
- 4 large eggs (about 225g in their shells), at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups self-rising flour
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam (160g), seedless or with seeds
- 1 tablespoon superfine sugar, for the top
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease two 8 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment.
- In a large bowl, beat the soft butter and the 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until very pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. If the mixture starts to look curdled, add a spoonful of the flour with the next egg.
- Sift in the self-rising flour and fold it in gently with a large spoon or spatula, just until no flour shows. Fold in the 2 tablespoons milk to loosen the batter to a soft dropping consistency.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sponges are golden, springy when pressed lightly in the center, and just pulling away from the sides of the pans.
- Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- Set one sponge upside down on a plate and spread it with the 1/2 cup raspberry jam. Lay the second sponge on top, right side up, and sift the 1 tablespoon sugar over the top.
