Classic Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe

Many consider the British Victoria sponge to be one of the best sandwich cakes you can bake. And though considerable mystique has arisen around it, it's not really that hard to bake, as the recipe below demonstrates.

Here the cake halves are sandwiched together with buttercream icing and strawberry jam. Some just use jam.

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
200g (1 cup) caster sugar
200g (1 cup) butter, softened
4 eggs, beaten
200g (2 cups, scant) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
For the Filling:
100g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
140g (5 oz) icing sugar, sifted
drop of vanilla extract (optional)
300g (2/3 lb) good-quality strawberry jam
icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

Combine the sugar, butter, eggs, self-raising flour, baking powder and milk in a bowl. Beat the ingredients together with a hand whisk until you have a smooth, soft, batter.

Divide this mixture between two 20cm (8 in) sandwich tins that have ben well buttered and lined. Smooth the tops with a spatula then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mark 4) and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and springy to the touch.

Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and set aside to cool completely.

When cold, prepare the filling. Beat the butter until creamy then gradually work in the icing sugar and vanilla extract until you have a cream-like consistency. Spread the resultant buttercream over the top of one of the sponge cakes then top with the jam.

Sandwich the two cakes together then dust the top with icing sugar and serve.