Victoria Sponge Cake

1st March 2024

Classic vanilla sponge cake with a piped vanilla buttercream, strawberry jam layer, finished off with a dusting of icing sugar over the top.

Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Cooling/Decorating Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 12

List of equipment needed:

Scales, 8 inch cake tins x2, Non stick parchment paper, Large bowl, Sieve, Electric mixer, Spatula, Tablespoon (Tbsp), Teaspoon (Tsp), Cooling rack, Palette knife, 2D piping nozzle, Piping bag.

Ingredients

For the sponge:

230g Baking butter
230g Caster sugar
4 Large eggs
1 tsp Vanilla extract
230g Self raising flour

For the buttercream:

150g Block butter
300g Icing sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract

For the filling:

230g Strawberry jam (or any jam of your choice)

For the decoration:

Icing sugar (dusting)

Instructions

For the sponge:

Preheat the oven to 190⁰c, Fan 170⁰c, Gas 5, 375⁰F.
Prepare two 8 inch cake tins by greasing and lining.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using a mixer until it becomes pale in colour.
Add each egg individually, mixing well in between.
Next add the vanilla extract to the mix and combine.
Sieve the flour into the bowl and fold in gently using a spatula until combined.
Split the cake mixture equally between both cake tins.
Bake for 20-25 minutes on the middle shelf. The cakes will be done once they are golden brown and coming away from the edge of the tins. Press gently to check, they should be springing to the touch.
Allow to cool before turning the sponges out onto a wired cooling rack.

For the buttercream & filling:

In a large bowl, whisk the block butter until soft. Sieve half the icing sugar into the bowl and mix slowly to start with, then repeat with the remaining icing sugar.
Add the vanilla extract to the buttercream and mix until combined.
Place the buttercream into a piping bag with the 2D nozzle. If you don’t have a piping bag you can use a paletteknife instead.

Put a small amount of buttercream in the center of the cake board or plate. Place one of the sponges on top. This should stop the cake from slipping off.

Carefully pipe or spread using a palette knife the buttercream onto the sponge starting from the outside working towards the center.
Gently heat the jam until lukewarm, ensuring it does not overheat. If the jam gets too hot leave to cool before using.
Spoon the jam over the buttercream.
Place the second sponge carefully on top of the buttercream and jam layers.
Finally, lightly dust the top of the cake with icing sugar using a sieve.

Store for 3 days in airtight containers.

Notes:

You could do jam first before buttercream if you would prefer. Although this can make it a bit more challenging to put the buttercream on if using a palette knife.
If the jam is too hot and you apply it too early, the buttercream will melt.