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–+ servings
A simple, 2 layer Victoria Sponge Cake, layered with fresh strawberries and cream.
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Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe

This Victoria Sponge Cake is an afternoon teacake recipe, favored by Queen Elizabeth, with a long British royal heritage. An easy-to-make, simple two-layer cake that's lightly sweet, soft, and perfect!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 244kcal
Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (see notes for self rising flour)
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Victoria Sponge Filling

  • ½ cup strawberry jam
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar more for dusting
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 quart fresh strawberries

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Grease and line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  • In a bowl with an electric mixer (or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment), cream butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add the milk, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and using a spatula, spread the batter to the edges of the pan.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean, the top is golden, and the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then unmold the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely before assembling the cake.
  • While the cake is cooling, whip the cream and slice the strawberries.

Assembling the cake

  • Save the prettiest cake top for the top layer of the cake. Lay the less pretty cake on the cake stand with the flat side up. Spread the strawberry jam on the flat side of the cake, almost to the edges. Using a small offset spatula, spread ½ to ¾ of the cream over the strawberry jam layer, reserving some for the top of the cake and some for additional piping if desired. Put the reserved cream in a piping bag fitted with a large tip.
  • Layer strawberries sliced lengthwise over the cream with the stem end facing outward.
  • Place the second cake carefully over the fresh strawberries. Pipe additional cream between the strawberries if desired.
  • On top of the cake, spread or pipe the remaining cream and place whole fresh strawberries. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

Notes

This recipe has been slightly updated to better fill standard 8-inch cake pans while keeping the classic Victoria Sponge ratio intact. The small adjustment in flour ensures a fuller, tender sponge without changing the traditional flavor or texture.
  1. Flour: If substituting self-rising flour for all-purpose flour, eliminate the baking powder in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 505mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g