Photo by Kelly Hunter
The Victoria sponge cake has an English origin and bears the name of queen Victoria, because it was her favorite cake, served at the afternoon tea time. It’s a kind of a sponge cake, but the recipe of this one requires a lot of butter.
I know it isn’t the healthiest option and English food is certainly not famous for being healthy, but rather mostly palate pleasing. We all need to enjoy our food from time to time after all, right:).
And the recipe is really easy to make, looks way better than a plain sponge cake and it can be your top choice for making your guests happy.
This simple Victoria sponge cake is made of 2 cake layers, one (use the least attractive) will make the base of the cake. And the other will be topped with a few strawberries and Chantilly cream (vanilla flavored homemade whipped cream) after you make a “sandwich” with them by using strawberry jam and cream. Then you can sprinkle some icing sugar(powdered sugar) on the cake for decoration and a nice elegant finish.
The Victoria sponge cake can serve as a base for a birthday cake, then you can decorate the cake sponges any type of cream, nuts, cocoa powder or topping of your choice.
At the final stage I take the thick sponge cake out of the mold and I cut it into two parts. Then the sandwiched cake is topped with strawberry jam, a few pieces of strawberries and covered in homemade whipped cream.
Steps for making the Victoria sponge cake:
Beat the butter into cream. Add the sugar and continue to beat until you get a creamy mixture with a pale yellowish color.
Add the eggs one at a time (stir and blend well each egg before adding the next).
Mix the flour and the yeast (or use baking powder) with a pinch of salt and vanilla (I also add a little bit of orange zest for additional flavor and aroma).
Add the previously sifted flour and beat at low speed until it’s well blended.
If you find that the dough is too thick add a tablespoon of milk.
Line the bottom of a pan (I use a 18 cm springform pan and you can go up to 20 cm or use 2 molds of 15 cm each) with parchment paper. I avoid buttering the sides of the pan, so that the cake doesn’t shrink.
Pour the well blended mixture into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180 C (350 F) for about 30 minutes (it all depends on the oven you have, with mine for example I had to bake it for 45 minutes, though the recipe states 30 minutes). Check for doneness by inserting the blade of a knife in the center of the cake, it should come out dry.
When the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and run a knife around the sides of the pan to release the cake, unmold and let it cool for 15 minutes on a grid. Allow the cake to cool completely.
Place the cream along with the beaters in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Then beat the cream on low speed and when it begins to thicken, add the icing sugar and continue to beat until you get a nicely light homemade whipped cream (chantilly cream).
Take the first layer of the cake after it has cooled and spread the cream and then the strawberry jam. Add some of the the strawberries cut on smaller pieces.
Add the second sponge cake layer on top of the first one and you have a cake “sandwich”. Then spread some more of the whipped chantilly cream, add the strawberries cut on half and decorate as you wish( you can get creative here). Finally sprinkle with icing sugar and you have it. Your own homemade Victoria sponge cake.
Enjoy !
- 200 g of sugar
- 200 g butter, softened at room temperature
- 200 g of flour
- zest of one orange (you can substitute with vanilla)
- 1 sachet of yeast (or 1 ts. of baking powder)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup of milk (optional )
- 150 g strawberries
- strawberry jam
- 150 ml of liquid cream
- 25 g icing sugar
- Beat the butter into cream. Add the sugar and continue to beat until you get a creamy mixture with a pale yellowish color.
- Add the eggs one at a time (stir and blend well each egg before adding the next).
- Mix the flour and the yeast (or use baking powder) with a pinch of salt and vanilla (I also add a little bit of orange zest for additional flavor and aroma).
- Add the previously sifted flour and beat at low speed until it's well blended.
- If you find that the dough is too thick add a tablespoon of milk.
- Line the bottom of a pan (I use a 18 cm springform pan and you can go up to 20 cm or use 2 molds of 15 cm each) with parchment paper. I avoid buttering the sides of the pan, so that the cake doesn't shrink.
- Pour the well blended mixture into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180 C (350 F) for about 30 minutes (it all depends on the oven you have, with mine for example I had to bake it for 45 minutes, though the recipe states 30 minutes). Check for doneness by inserting the blade of a knife in the center of the cake, it should come out dry.
- When the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and run a knife around the sides of the pan to release the cake, unmold and let it cool for 15 minutes on a grid. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Place the cream along with the beaters in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Then beat the cream on low speed and when it begins to thicken, add the icing sugar and continue to beat until you get a nicely light homemade whipped cream (chantilly cream).
- Take the first layer of the cake after it has cooled and spread the cream and then the strawberry jam. add some of the the strawberries cut on smaller pieces.
- Add the second sponge cake layer on top of the first one and you have a cake "sandwich".
- Then spread some more of the whipped chantilly cream, add the strawberries cut on half and decorate as you wish( you can get creative here).
- Finally sprinkle with icing sugar and you have it. Your own homemade Victoria sponge cake.
