Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe: A 100-Year-Old Dessert Recipe Fit for Two Queens by Ann Marie G. Halstead

For many years Victoria Sponge cake appeared on Queen Elizabeth II’s menu for afternoon tea, prepared by royal chef Darren McGrady. According to Buckingham Palace’s Instagram, “the Victoria Sponge was named after Queen Victoria, who regularly ate a slice of sponge cake with her tea, each afternoon!” The Victoria sponge recipe below follows the original recipe- over 100 years old- enjoyed daily by Queen Victoria when she was head of state. 

According to Royal Chef Darren McGrady, the Victoria Sponge should be “crispy on the outside but gorgeous and spongy on the inside.” I have no doubt that it’s best served with a cup of English tea! 

Cuisine: British 
Prep Time:
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Servings:

Ingredients

Sponge

3 eggs 

150g granulated (caster) sugar 

150g unsalted butter 

150g sieved self-raising flour 

1/2 tsp of vanilla essence (see note)

100g jam (strawberry or raspberry) 

Buttercream

150g softened unsalted butter 

220g sieved icing sugar 

1/3 vanilla pod or vanilla essence

Here's how to make it: 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease and line two 8 inch cake tins (if you only own one tin, you can bake the sponge and slice in half).

Cream the caster sugar, vanilla essence and softened unsalted butter until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs.

Gradually add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, to avoid the mixture curdling. Sieve the flour and fold into the mixture.

Divide the cake mix between the two cake tins and smooth.

Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the cake appears golden brown.

Insert a skewer and ensure it comes out clean.

Remove the sponges from their tins and leave to cool.

To make the buttercream, cream the softened butter with the sieved icing sugar and seeds from the vanilla pod (or vanilla essence).

To assemble the cake, ensure that both sponges are completely cold before spreading a layer of jam onto the surface of one sponge.

Spread a thick layer of buttercream on top of the jam (if you prefer, this can be done first).

Gently place the second sponge on top and gently press down.

Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with a pot of fresh English tea!

In general, extract is a natural product, whereas essence is synthetic. As a result, you will usually find that extract is less processed and provides a stronger and more pure vanilla flavor when compared to essence. 

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