Of the 500+ recipes I have ever written, this Victoria sponge cake (AKA Victoria sandwich cake) is the one I am proudest of—and I don’t say that lightly.
The crumb is extremely tender, almost like a buttermilk biscuit or very delicate scone. It’s fluffy and springy—buttery, yet light. And when I bake it for friends and family, no one can resist a second slice.
If you’re going to master just one cake recipe, I humbly present this one. And even if you already have a few dozen cake recipes under your belt, you’re in for a treat.
Jump to the recipe to get to baking, or read on for a bit about why this one has earned a special place in my kitchen. Here’s why I love it, and what we’re gonna cover in this post:
- You can get creative with the filling! (Fun!)
- It uses a special technique called reverse-creaming, which is way easier than it sounds.
- That method is easiest to explain visually, so I made a quick video and step-by-step instructions.
How to get creative with the filling
Victoria sponge cake is also known as Victoria sandwich cake, because it’s traditionally filled with strawberry jam and whipped cream. But there are so many ways you can get creative with it.
Filling ingredient possibilities:
- Add fresh strawberries or skip the fresh fruit entirely.
- Opt for a store-bought jam, preserves, or even a homemade compote.
- Whip the cream to medium-firm peaks and dollop it, or go a skosh further to stiff peaks and then pipe it with a fluted tip.
- Go wild and use a totally different jam flavor/sprinkle on another kind of fresh berry
- You can even opt for a lemon or passion fruit curd instead of the jam.
What order to layer the ingredients:
You must layer your cake strategically, depending on the ingredients you choose. Here is the key:
Start with the firmest spread, end with the softest spread, and put the fresh berries in the middle (if you are using them).
So if you’re using a super set jam that’s right from a store-bought jar, you will likely need to start with that and end with the whipped cream. If you’re using a soft homemade compote, you should start with the whipped cream and end with the compote. Likewise with any kind of curd, which will be much softer than whipped cream. If you’re not using fresh berries, that’s cool. But if you are using fresh berries, just make sure they go in between the two spreads.
And be prepared for a bit of the filling to pop out of the side, especially if your fillings are particularly soft—that’s just part of the charm!
Why is this Victoria sponge cake special? Reverse-creaming!
What is reverse-creaming?
Rose Levy Beranbaum invented this method. It might sound fancy, but it’s actually even easier than the usual method. Instead of creaming the butter and sugar together first, you cream the butter and sugar along with the flour and other dry ingredients. Then you add the wet ingredients.
Why does reverse-creaming work?
Cake’s natural enemy is gluten. Too much gluten activation will make a cake turn out dry, chewy, and dense instead of moist, fluffy, and light.
In a typical cake recipe, you can avoid this by not over-mixing your batter. Mix the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients separately, and then bring them together with as few passes as possible.
But for an even more tender crumb, we reverse-cream. By working the butter and flour together, all those flour bits get coated in fat, which creates a water-resistant seal. Since the flour has been waterproofed, it can’t quickly absorb all the moisture from the eggs and milk. And since gluten needs moisture to form, this waterproofed batter can’t form gluten as easily.
(Allergy note: This does not mean this is a gluten-free cake or even a low-gluten cake. It’s just aesthetically not glutinous. It still contains gluten.)
Step-by-step instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Butter and line two 9 in [23 cm] cake pans with parchment.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed to combine.
Add the butter and beat together until it looks like fine sand, 1½ to 2 minutes (start on low speed, then increase to medium).
With the mixer running* on medium speed, add 1 egg every 5 seconds or so.
Drizzle in the milk. Be careful not to overmix—do not leave the mixer running while you’re not adding anything.
Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure it’s fully incorporated.
Pour into the prepared pans. Spread evenly. Bake for about 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Place the powdered sugar and heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk. Mix on medium for about 2½ minutes.
As soon as it reaches medium-stiff peaks, stop whipping. Store in the fridge until you need it.
To assemble the cake, place one completely cooled layer on a plate or cake stand.
Top with jam and whipped cream (see the recipe below for more info on what order to place your layers).
Top with the other cooled layer. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Victoria sponge cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1½ cups [195 g] all-purpose flour
- 1 cup [200 g] granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 8 Tbsp [115 g] unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup [120 g] milk, at room temperature
For the whipped cream:
- 3½ Tbsp [25 g] powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- ½ cup [115 g] heavy whipping cream, cold
To assemble:
- Heaped ⅓ cup [140 g] strawberry preserves, jam, or low-moisture homemade compote
- Optional: sliced strawberries
Instructions
- To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Butter and line two 9 in [23 cm] cake pans with parchment rounds.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed just to combine. Add the butter and beat together until it looks like fine sand, 1½ to 2 minutes (start on low speed, then increase the speed to medium).
- With the mixer running* on medium speed, add 1 egg every 5 seconds or so, then drizzle in the milk. Be careful not to overmix—do not leave the mixer running while you’re not adding anything. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure it’s fully incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it equally into 2 thin layers. Spread the batter evenly.
- Bake for about 17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake layers on a wire rack.
- To make the whipped cream, place the powdered sugar and heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 2½ minutes. As soon as it reaches medium-stiff peaks, stop whipping. Store in the fridge until you need it.
- To assemble the cake, place one completely cooled cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Top with the preserves* or jam and spread out to the edges. Dollop the whipped cream evenly across the surface and spread out to the edges. Top with the other cooled cake layer.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately, or refrigerate for a couple hours. Leftover slices should be stored in the fridge, and will keep for 1 to 2 days, but it’s best served soon after assembling.
Notes
* Have your eggs ready to go in a liquid measuring cup, or add them with the mixer stopped if you’re cracking them directly into the bowl (so you don’t accidentally mix shell in).
** Layering order: If you’re using strawberries, they should always go in the middle. For the spreadable layers, you should end with whichever layer is softest and start with whichever layer is firmest. So if your whipped cream is firmer than your compote, start with the whipped cream. If you’re using a very set jam straight from the jar, start with the jam and then layer on the whipped cream.
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