Victoria Sponge Cake

Victoria Sponge Cake 

Victoria Sponge Cake

Victoria Sponge Cake (Aka Victoria Sandwich Cake) is a traditional cake from England named for Queen Victoria. The cake layers have strawberry or raspberry jam, are topped with whipped cream or vanilla buttercream, and dusted with powdered sugar over the top layer. I have seen recipes with the jam first and then cream over it and vice versa, and other jam flavors like blackberry and blueberry and fruit over the cake as well. This cake is light and airy, simple and elegant, and a great combination of sweet from the raspberry jam and vanilla buttercream. This Victoria Sponge is an excellent anytime of day kind of cake and perfect with tea. I baked this cake in honor of the final season premiere tonight of Downton Abbey. I picture Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham enjoying a slice with her favorite cup of tea. The recipe calls for Caster (Super Fine) Sugar, but I was unable to find it at Stop & Shop or Garden Gourmet and made my own by using my Ninja processor. You can use a coffee grinder or blender as well. Just pulse until the texture is fine but not a powder consistency. The recipe also calls for self rising flour and I made by own by adding baking powder and baking soda. Recipe follows below.

Victoria Sponge Cake, my piece

Cake Ingredients
1 cup Caster (Super Fine) Sugar

1 cup, 16 tablespoons, 2 sticks, Unsalted Butter, each stick cut into 8 cubes + plus extra for greasing cake pans

1 ½ cups + 1 ½ tablespoon Self Rising Flour + plus extra to sprinkle over greased cake pans (To make Self Rising Flour: I use 1 ½ cups + 1 ½ tablespoon King Arthur All Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda)

¼ teaspoon Coarse Salt

Victoria Sponge Cake, pure yumminess

4 Extra Large Eggs

2 tablespoons Whole Milk

1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Zest of 1 Lemon

Seedless Raspberry Jam (or Strawberry Jam)

Victoria Sponge Cake close-up

Directions: 
In a medium size bowl, sift self rising flour and salt; set aside.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease 2 9-inch (or 8-inch) cake pans with butter, line with parchment paper and grease over it and sprinkle with flour. Shake off excess flour.

Using hand held or stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed, cream butter and sugar; 3 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time until each one is incorporated.

Add milk, vanilla extract and lemon zest just until incorporated.

Victoria Sponge Cake

With spatula scrape sides of bowl.

Turn mixer to low speed and slowly add flour until incorporated.

Divide cake batter in the two cake pans. Smooth over tops with spatula or knife.

Bake for 20 minutes or until cakes are golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, and then invert onto wire racks to cool completely; about 1 hour.

Victoria Sponge Cake

Vanilla Buttercream Filling
Ingredients
1 cup, 2 sticks, 16 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened and each stick cut into 8 cubes

2 cups Powdered Sugar + extra to sprinkle over the top of cake

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Victoria Sponge Cake

Directions
Beat butter on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.

Turn mixer speed to low and slowly add powdered sugar until incorporated.

Add vanilla extract and combine until incorporated.

To assemble the cake place one cake layer top side down, and generously spread raspberry jam with spatula or knife.

Spread vanilla buttercream over the top.

Take second layer with top side down and lightly press over the vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam.

Sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar.

My Victoria Sponge Cake recipe was adapted from the following 2 recipes:
Mary Berry’s Perfect Victoria Sandwich:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mary_berrys_perfect_34317

Your Homebased Mom:
http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/victoria-sponge-cake/

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys