Victoria Sponge

This recipe is so simple, it’s great to make with little ones who want to help in the kitchen. You’ll see evidence of this in my photos for this post.

Named in honor of Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 until 1901, this cake has been popular for many, many years. As a result, there are many recipes for Victoria Sponge out there. Most call for 8 oz self-rising flour, 8 oz caster sugar and 8 oz butter, but there are several with subtle variations regarding the use of baking powder or milk. I use this one from the BBC, which is very straight-forward and has given me good results. I’ve served it to English and Irish friends, who have assured me it tasted authentic, so I can’t ask for more than that!

This is a very simple sponge cake most traditionally paired with whipped cream and either strawberry or raspberry jam. The top is left plain, or given a dusting of confectioner’s sugar.

If you grew up with a mum or gran who made this for you, you will no doubt prefer it her way. If you didn’t, experiment to find your own favorite flavor combo and then start a tradition of serving it to your own family, those lucky ducks.

Prepping the pans is really important for this particular cake. Be generous when buttering the pans, going all the way up the sides to the top.

Trace around the bottom of your pan onto some parchment paper, then cut out the circle you’ve made. If you cut just inside your pencil line, you will have a circle of parchment paper the perfect size for lining the bottom of your pan, and no worries about pencil on your cake. Butter the pan and the paper when lining the bottom. Be sure to butter the sides of the pan well, all the way up to the top, because these cakes rise up like you won’t believe!

Making the batter is as simple as creaming the butter and sugar together, adding the eggs and vanilla, folding in the flour and adding a little milk. This is a great recipe for getting your little ones to love baking. The batter is quick to make and the cake is delicious all by itself.

But why stop there??

I love to make this with raspberry jam, as you can see.

One more reason to love Victoria Sponge: this cake freezes really well. If the cake above looks too decadent, try a smaller version:  bake two layers, split one in half and fill it, and freeze the other layer for later.

And look! You can make miniature cakes for tea, or sharing with friends. Or just eating casually without guilt or restraint. I won’t tell. So cute and and so tasty.

The berries were so beautiful at the store here that I had to do a little berry-and-lemon-curd variation this time, foregoing my usual jam-and-cream treatment. It was still incredibly yummy, if less traditional.

Now, a note about butter: I have made this cake A LOT, and I have always used regular old store brand, unsalted butter with good results. I had recently served afternoon tea for an Irish friend and I thought it would be nice to have Kerrygold butter for her, so I had a bit left hanging out in my freezer. I thought it would be interesting to try out the Kerrygold in this cake, just to see.

Oh my. The difference was nothing short of amazing! The cake made with Kerrygold was so much moister, softer, and richer. I was astounded! It was so good, I plan to use Kerrygold from here on out. If you can get Kerrygold in your local store, it’s worth trying. If not, use your usual butter and your cake will still be delicious.

I love things that have a bit of history to them, and this cake certainly does. History stuffed with jam and cream. Delightful. Bake one and see.

Cheers!

Note: This is not a sponsored post. Links provided in this post are purely meant to be helpful. I promise, Kerrygold has no idea who I am or what I do in my kitchen.