Lean how to make vanilla sponge cake, or a classic Victoria sponge with this easy recipe. Vanilla cakes are incredibly popular, and you can decorate them with any icing that you like. Add jam and whipped cream to make a traditional Victoria sandwich, perfect for afternoon tea.
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Why you'll love it
- Made using pantry staples only
- Quick and simple cake recipe
- Vanilla sponge cake is really versatile
- Use any icing or decoration that you like
- Victoria sponge is a British classic
- Inexpensive and really easy
- Great for afternoon tea, as a birthday cake or even as a simple wedding cake
What is Victoria sponge
Victoria sponge, or Victoria sandwich, is a classic British cake recipe. Two plain vanilla sponge cakes are sandwiched with a layer of cream and jam in the middle.
Traditional Victoria sandwich cakes are made with raspberry jam or strawberry jam, but you can use any jam that you like!
Sponge cakes are light, fluffy and airy, making them really popular as a dessert cake, for afternoon tea, or in the summer.
Ingredients
Sugar: Use granulated white sugar or caster sugar. This makes the cake sweet, and gives it the correct consistency.
Self raising flour: Self raising flour is flour which already includes baking powder. It can be found in most large supermarkets, but you can make it yourself as well. Do NOT substitute for all-purpose flour.
Eggs: The eggs bind the ingredients together. I have not tried using an egg substitute, but if you do please let me know how it goes!
Vanilla extract: For extra vanilla flavor. You can omit this, or replace it with a different extract to change the flavor of the cake.
Butter: The butter makes the cake dense, moist and delicious. Make sure to use softened (but not melted) butter.
Baking powder: Gives the cake a nice rise.
Instructions
To make the perfect vanilla sponge cake, you should start by weighing your eggs. Place a bowl on kitchen scales, and crack the eggs into the bowl. Take note of the exact weight of the eggs, typically between 220-240 g.
Transfer the eggs to a mixing bowl, along with the same amounts of sugar, self raising flour and butter. Meaning, if your eggs weight 229 g as mine did, you will add 229 g of the other ingredients as well.
💡 TIP! Using the same amount of eggs, self raising flour, butter and sugar is the key to a perfectly moist vanilla sponge. Most recipes online will estimate the weight of the eggs, and ask you to add 225 g or 230 g of butter, sugar and flour to the cake, but if you weigh the eggs first, you will get PERFECT results every time.
Mix the ingredients, and transfer to two cake pans that are 20 cm or 8 inches wide. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F / 180 C / 160 C fan oven for about 25 minutes, or until the sponge is golden brown and comes away from the edges of the cake pans.
You can also test the sponges to check if they are done by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If the toothpick still has cake batter on it, cook for a few more minutes. If it comes out clean, the cake is done!
Rest the cake in the cake pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and allow it to cool down completely.
If you want to make a traditional Victoria sponge cake, whisk double cream or heavy cream with a little icing sugar to make the whipped cream. Sandwich the two vanilla sponges with whipped cream and strawberry or raspberry jam in the middle.
A Victoria sandwich is often topped with a dusting of icing sugar, but typically does not have any icing on the surface.
You can also of course decorate the vanilla sponges with any other icing that you like.
Top tips
- Make sure not to over mix the cake batter. The ingredients should be just combined.
- Allow the cakes to cool down completely before decorating them, or the whipped cream might melt right off them.
- Avoid opening the oven door before the cake is baked! This can affect the rise and texture of your bake. You should only open the oven door towards the end of the baking time, when you're ready to check if it's done.
- Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for an even result. You might also want to swap the two baking pans halfway through cooking to make sure that they bake evenly.
Serving suggestions
Vanilla sponge cake is a classic cake perfect for any occasion. The cake can be decorated however you like, making it suitable as a vanilla birthday cake as well as a Sunday dessert. Traditional Victoria sponge cake is often enjoyed for afternoon tea.
Here are some other ideas for cake fillings and toppings:
- Fillings: Sugar Free Grape Jam, Rhubarb and Apple Jam, Blueberry Chia Jam, Instant Pot Apple Butter
- Toppings: Roasted Walnuts, Roasted Hazelnuts, Oven Dried Blueberries
Variations
With flavor: You can substitute the vanilla extract with any other extract to change the flavor of the sponge. Try strawberry, orange or almond extract for a delicious twist on the traditional recipe.
Colored vanilla sponges: You can add any food coloring to the sponges. This is often really popular with the kids. You can make each sponge have a different color, or color them both the same. Try making unicorn sponges, rainbow colored sponges, or color them in the patriotic red, white and blue.
Leftovers
You can store leftover vanilla sponge cake in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. If it's decorated as a Victoria sandwich with cream, I recommend only storing it for up to 2 days.
This is definitely a cake that you can decorate and finish the day before you want to serve it.
You can also freeze undecorated sponge cakes for up to 6 months. The cakes don't freeze well if you add icing or whipped cream, but the sponges themselves are well suited for freezing.
Thaw and defrost frozen cakes in a refrigerator overnight before decorating. I love having a few cakes in my freezer for cake emergencies (does anyone else have that problem?), and a classic vanilla cake is one of my go-to choices.
Frequently asked questions
A sponge cake is a plain, undecorated cake with no icing. The sponge is typically vanilla or chocolate flavored. After baking, you can decorate the plain sponge with your icing and colors of choice.
I always recommend weighing the ingredients when you bake. Cups are not made equal, and they vary in size between countries. Measurements in cups are also not precise as you can get very different amount depending on how tightly you pack the flour, for example.
You might also like these recipes
- Brandied Pears
- Healthy Orange Loaf Cake
- Norwegian Apple Cake (eplekake)
- Raspberry Turnovers
- Chickpea Blondies
- Apple and Plum Crumble
- Healthy Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
If you make any of these recipes, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy! Follow Hint of Healthy on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest for more healthy recipes.
Recipe
Vanilla Sponge Cake - Victoria Sponge
Equipment
- Baking Pans
- Electric Whisk
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 225 g self raising flour
- 225 g butter
- 225 g caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Victoria Sponge toppings (optional)
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
- 150 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C / 160 C fan oven
- Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, and weigh them.
- Add the same amounts of butter, self raising flour and caster sugar to the mixing bowl as eggs. This is usually between 215-230g depending on the size of the eggs.
- Add vanilla extract and baking powder to the mixing bowl.
- Mix the ingredients with an electric whisk until just combined. Don't overmix it!
- Pour the cake batter into two lined and buttered sandwich cake tins (20 cm / 8 inch)
- Bake the cake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven, and leave them to rest for about 10 minutes. Then, gently remove them from the cake tins, and allow them to cool down completely on a cooling rack (at least 1 hour).
- You can now add any icing or decorations to your plain vanilla sponge cake, or continue to make a classic Victoria sponge.
To make Victoria Sponge
- Whisk double cream (heavy cream) and 1 tablespoon icing sugar to make whipped cream.
- Spread the whipped cream over one of the vanilla cakes. Add a layer of strawberry jam or raspberry jam on top of the cream.
- Place the second cake on top of the jam. Sieve remaining icing sugar on top, and serve.
Video
Notes
- Store leftover vanilla sponge cake in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing Victoria sponge: Make the two vanilla sponges, and freeze them down separately for up to 6 months. Thaw and defrost the cakes in a refrigerator overnight, then decorate them and serve.
- Make sure not to over mix the cake batter. The ingredients should be just combined.
- Allow the cakes to cool down completely before decorating them, or the whipped cream might melt right off them.
- Avoid opening the oven door before the cake is baked! This can affect the rise and texture of your bake. You should only open the oven door towards the end of the baking time, when you're ready to check if it's done.
- Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for an even result. You might also want to swap the two baking pans halfway through cooking to make sure that they bake evenly.
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