Victoria sponge cake
2 hours 30 mins cooking time

Delight your guests with a proper Victoria sponge cake. Three feather-light layers make up this impressive dessert. Each one is sandwiched with strawberry jam and vanilla buttercream and crowned with hulled strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar. This is traditional British baking at its best.

Victoria sponge cake Victoria sponge cake

Victoria sponge cake

  • 2 hours 30 mins cooking time
  1. Home
  2. Recipes
  3. Victoria sponge cake

Delight your guests with a proper Victoria sponge cake. Three feather-light layers make up this impressive dessert. Each one is sandwiched with strawberry jam and vanilla buttercream and crowned with hulled strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar. This is traditional British baking at its best.

Delight your guests with a proper Victoria sponge cake. Three feather-light layers make up this impressive dessert. Each one is sandwiched with strawberry jam and vanilla buttercream and crowned with hulled strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar. This is traditional British baking at its best.

Method

For the sponge
1

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4.

TIP

The quantities in the ingredient list make three sponge layers. To ensure even baking, each sponge layer is mixed and baked separately.

2

Grease and line the base of 3 x 22cm springform tins.

TIP

Take the butter out of the fridge well ahead of time so it softens to room temperature. Press it, and your finger should leave a dent without the surface turning greasy. Fridge-cold butter never traps enough air when creamed, and that trapped air is exactly what gives the layers their height.

3

Place the 175g of butter and 175g of sugar into a large mixing bowl or food processor and beat for about 5–6 minutes until pale and creamy.

TIP

Use the eggs at room temperature, not straight from the fridge. Cold eggs can firm the creamed butter back up and split the mixture. While the teaspoon of flour between additions helps, matched temperatures help ensure consistency throughout the baking process.

4

Add 3 eggs, one at a time. Add 1 tsp. of the flour between additions to stop the mix from separating.

5

Sift 175g flour and 1 tbsp. of baking powder and fold the mix together. If the mixture is a little dry, add 1–2 tsp. of milk. The mixture should be thick enough to hold its shape.

TIP

Let each layer cool completely before it meets the buttercream. A warm sponge will melt the butter in the filling, causing the layers to slide out of place. A fully cooled crumb keeps every layer where you put it.

6

Add the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes until golden and well risen. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer into the centre, ensuring it comes out clean. Remove and cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Then invert onto a wire rack, removing the base and sides of the tin. Repeat making the sponge cake twice.

For the buttercream filling
1

While the cakes are baking, beat together the softened Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, sifted icing sugar, and the vanilla bean paste until pale and creamy and well incorporated.

TIP

You can prepare the filling in advance. It will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Assembling the cake
1

Place the base sponge cake onto a serving plate with the flat side down. Trim off any rounded tops, so the sponge cake layers are flat.

2

To finish, prepare the strawberries by slicing the larger ones in half or quarters. Spread a generous dollop of jam onto the bottom layer. Add some buttercream and the prepared strawberries.

3

Sandwich the next layer onto the cake and repeat. Top with the remaining layer, add some buttercream and the remaining strawberries. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Questions about Victoria sponge cake

Want to make the perfect Victoria sponge cake? Find answers to common questions here, covering everything from baking to storing this wonderful dessert.

  • A Victoria sponge is a classic British cake of two or more sponge layers sandwiched with jam and, often, buttercream or whipped cream, finished with a dusting of icing sugar. Named after Queen Victoria, it is made with butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, which gives it a light, even crumb.

  • A Victoria sponge cake sinks for one of three reasons: too much raising agent, over-mixing, or opening the oven door too soon. Stick to the amount of raising agent stated in the recipe, since too much causes the cake to rise fast and then collapse. Cream the butter and sugar until just pale, fold the flour in carefully to avoid knocking out the air, and aim for a thick, dropping consistency, adding milk only a teaspoon at a time. Keep the oven door shut until the cake is nearly done.

  • A Victoria sponge cake typically turns out dry if you have used too little liquid or baked it too long in the oven. Your batter should drop easily from a spoon, and if it does not, add a little more milk. Start checking for doneness from around 20 minutes. Using soft butter and folding the flour carefully also helps, since over-mixing makes the crumb tough.

  • To prevent the layers of your Victoria sponge from sliding, make sure each layer is flat and fully cooled first. Warm sponge softens the buttercream, causing the layers to slide out of place. Level any domes with a serrated knife, anchor the base layer to the plate with a dab of buttercream, and keep fillings thin, holding the jam back from the edges so it does not ooze. Chill the assembled cake for 20–30 minutes to set it, and cut with a sharp knife.

  • Keep the Victoria sponge at cool room temperature if you plan to eat it the same day, in a covered cake tin or airtight container away from direct sunlight. For 12–48 hours, move it to the fridge in an airtight container instead, since the fresh strawberries spoil faster at room temperature. Chilling firms up the sponge and buttercream, so take the cake out 30–45 minutes before serving to let both soften again.

  • Yes, you can freeze Victoria sponge cake, but freeze the plain sponge layers and the buttercream separately, never with the strawberries, which turn watery once thawed. Cool the layers fully, wrap each in clingfilm and foil, and store the buttercream in its own airtight tub. Both keep in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost the cake layers in the fridge, then assemble with jam and fresh strawberries.

Crack those eggs and bake a stunning Victoria sponge cake

A Victoria sponge cake may look like the work of a practised baker, but the truth is you can easily make it yourself. There is no need for fancy equipment or years of baking experience, just a few kitchen staples and supplies. This recipe stays forgiving from the first step to the last, and it looks far harder-won than it actually is. Turn a bowl of butter, sugar, eggs and flour into a stunning cake you will be proud to serve your guests.

Light and fluffy sponge cake layers

It is time to break down exactly what makes a good sponge, starting with the crumb. This cake is airy and tender, springy enough to bounce back under a fingertip, with a mild, buttery flavour. That texture is a result of beating the butter and sugar together, which traps air in the batter and helps it rise. While it may be a quiet backdrop to the decadent filling, the spongy cake layers are as important as the rest of the cake.

A jam and buttercream filling, finished with fresh strawberries

Cut a slice, and every layer is on full display. A glistening seam of strawberry jam and then a smooth ivory stripe of vanilla buttercream. The strawberries, sliced and whole, are arranged on top as shiny jewels fit for a crown.

The jam has a concentrated berry tang, mirrored subtly in the sweet strawberries, while the buttercream has a cool, velvety texture. Good food deserves Lurpak®, and this buttercream shows exactly why.

A royal sandwich cake that never goes out of style

Every cake has a story, and this one is practically royalty. The Victoria sponge takes its name from Queen Victoria, who is said to have taken a slice with her afternoon tea. The recipe has barely changed because it never needed to. Sponge, jam, buttercream, done.

So, what you are baking today is very close to what sat on tea tables at the time, a rare thing to say about a sandwich cake baked today. Trends come and go, but this one is timeless.

Enjoy the British favourite for special celebrations

A cake this striking is the perfect fit for almost any occasion. Try the recipe for the next family birthday or a milestone anniversary. Or, simply, the day someone in the house has earned an unforgettable treat worthy of afternoon tea or dessert.

A three-layer Victoria sponge cake studded with strawberries makes any moment feel marked. Carry it to the table whole and cut it in front of everyone to show how you celebrate special occasions.

Looking for more bakes worthy of a celebration? Try one of these next. A chocolate blackberry cake has a darker, fruitier taste for anyone who likes their desserts deep and bittersweet, while rhubarb cupcakes scale that same spirit down to something you can hand round by the plateful. A lemon drizzle cake may not be as royal as the Victoria sponge, but it is a classic that offers a refreshing citrus hit.

Elevate your cake with a few simple tricks

Put your mark on the Victoria sponge cake. Swap the strawberry jam for raspberry or apricot for an easy variation with hardly any extra work. Not set on strawberries? Raspberries or blueberries slot straight into the filling in their place for a more bittersweet flavour.

Fold a little lemon or orange zest through the buttercream for a flash of citrus, or stir in a drop of almond extract to play off the vanilla. And you do not need to commit to three tiers, just bake two if you are serving the cake for fewer people. Small changes keep the cake unmistakably yours.

COOK, BAKE AND SPREAD WITH

Lurpak® Unsalted Butter

Unsalted Butter
With Lurpak® by your side you’re always ready to cook, bake and fry up wonders, cook. With its delicate taste, Lurpak® Unsalted Butter enhances the flavour of whatever food you add it to. From a hearty risotto dish, your weekend baking creations, to some simple earthy mushrooms, its subtle notes complement every creation you rustle up in the kitchen. For people who love Good Food, Lurpak® makes it even better. Now sleeves up. Today we cook bold.
Find out more