What is Victoria Sponge?
It's one of our most popular cakes but what exactly is it?
Victoria Sponge Cake
Victoria sponge cake, also known as the Victoria sandwich, and is one of ours and the UK’s most popular cakes! Our award-winning Victoria Sponge Cake is perfectly light, filled with raspberry jam and vanilla buttercream. Buttercream is made from English butter, using natural vanilla flavouring that is paired with delicious raspberry jam.
History
History of the Victoria sponge cake is very interesting, as it is thought to have been one of Queen Victoria’s favourite cakes. Queen Victoria reigned over the UK in the 19thcentury, from 1837 until her death in 1901. During this time many changes occurred and she was probably the first monarch to have enjoyed delicious cakes created using modern rising agents, baking powder and baking soda for instance. Of which were only invented in the first half of the 19thcentury! Baking powder and soda are crucial for encouraging light and fluffy cakes, as without it was significantly harder to produce light sponges.
Did you know that if there is only jam inside a sponge, then it is called a ‘jam sponge’ and not a Victoria sponge?
Originally the Victoria sponge was thought to have started in the nursery, as early Victorian afternoon tea consisted of seed and fruit cake. For the safety of children, it was suggested children should not eat cake with fruit or seed. Victoria sponge cakes were created as a result to be a harmless teatime specialty for just the children.
How To Make The Perfect Victoria Sponge Cake
It's an absolute classic and is one of our most popular flavours! It's all about the measuring and quality ingredients. Take a look at how we make our below and our sought after baking tips...
Firstly we crack our local free range eggs into a bowl. We then measure out equal quantities of a premium margarine and British sugar. The margarine and sugar go into the mixing bowl and the mixer is started at a low speed. Once they have been gently mixed together, the mixer speed is increased and continued until the mixture is light and fluffy. We then turn the mixer down to a low speed and slowly add the free range eggs.
Then gradually add the same quantity of British self raising flour as margarine and sugar to the mix, and continue mixing until the flour is fully mixed in. Stop the mixer and scrap down the bowl. Mix for another minute and add the natural vanilla flavouring to the mixture. Stop the mixer and scrap the sides of the bowl again. Mix for another 30 seconds and then the mix should be ready to deposit into the tins. Lightly grease the tins before putting the sponge batter in. A consistent amount of sponge batter should be measured into the tins to ensure all the sponges are baked to perfection.
The tins then go on to trays and these trays go onto a rack. The rack is now ready to go into to the oven. The oven is set at 180 degrees centigrade and the baking time is between 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the tins. The gas oven has burners the full length of the oven & the rack continually rotates during the bake. This guarantees there are no hot or cold spots in the oven, which ensures every sponge is baked to perfection. When the sponges are fully baked, the rack is taken out of the oven and the sponges are allowed to cool.
As soon as the tins can be handled, the sponges are knocked out of their tins and put onto silicone paper and back on to their trays. The sponges are now ready to be filled with raspberry jam and butter icing.
The British butter and British icing sugar are weighed out, two thirds icing sugar to one third butter. The butter is the first to go in the bowl. The mixture speed is set at high and the butter is mixed in the bowl for 2-3mins, softening it up in the process. The mixer speed is then set on low and the icing sugar is gradually added to the butter. Natural vanilla flavour is also added at this stage. The mixer speed is again set at high and the mixer continues to run until the butter icing is light and fluffy. The mixing bowl is scrapped down once and the mixer turned back on for another 30 seconds. Care is needed not to mix the butter icing for too long otherwise the texture of the butter icing starts to become coarse and this will be noticeable when eating. The butter icing is now ready to go into the sponge.
A sponge base is taken and turned upside down so the flat base of the sponge is facing upwards. A generous amount of quality seeded Raspberry jam is then spread across the flat base of the sponge. The fresh, handmade butter icing is weighed out and spread evenly on top of the jam. Another sponge base, top facing upwards, is taken and put on top of the base with jam and butter icing. A light dusting of icing sugar on top & “Sponge’s” Victoria sponge is ready to be enjoyed.
Victoria Sponge Celebration Cake
Our Victoria sponge will delight everyone at celebrations, which can be topped off with one of our cake toppers! A whole selection for fabulous cake topper designs for all occasions is devoted to them, including birthdays, congratulations, anniversaries, new year, Father’s Day, Mother’s day and more. You can even upload your own photo to be printed on a topper. A wonderful addition to all celebrations.
Personalise your order by adding a tipple, like a mini bottle of prosecco, a gin and tonic or whiskey and coke. Or why not add a comforting hot drink, such as tea, coffee or hot chocolate, all great additions to accompany a Victoria sponge for a celebratory event! To make it ready for a birthday celebration you can add candles, to sing happy birthday!
The classic Victoria sponge appearance, has a delicate dusting of icing sugar and is flawlessly uncomplicated. Great for all celebration themes and events, that no one is able to resist.
Gluten Free Victoria Sponge
Everyone should be able to have a scrumptious slice of Victoria Sponge, that’s why we worked hard to get out gluten-free Victoria cake right. We have made our gluten-free Victoria Sponge cake look and taste as good as our standard sponge. While we were researching other gluten-free cakes we found they were often dry and crumbly and wanted to give our customers a pleasant experience with our cakes.
We offer our Victoria sponge as a gluten free option, from which you cannot see or tell the difference from our regular recipe. We boast our gluten free Victoria sponge does not compromise on flavour, and is the same or even better perhaps than our regular recipe. Only difference between recipes is that the gluten free recipe replaces regular self-raising flour, with a gluten free alternative made from rice, potato, tapioca, maize and buckwheat flour.
Our delectable gluten-free Victoria sponge cake is made from free-range eggs, gluten-free flour mix, ground almonds, and natural vanilla flavouring which create a wonderfully light gluten-free vanilla sponge. English butter and natural vanilla create a thick and creamy buttercream matched perfectly with raspberry jam.
This luscious cake has had great reviews – with a lot of customers saying they couldn’t tell the difference between our gluten-free and standard Victoria Sponge. One has even said they needed to double-check to make sure they ordered the right cake! What a compliment!
They make great birthday cakes too! Each slice is a generous portion, so whether you order our gluten-free Victoria Sponge Cake for 8 or 16 there’ll be plenty to go around at any celebration. They have a simple, yet simple appearance and are beautiful centerpieces to place on a table full of party food.
Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake
Whether you have been vegan for a long time, or have recently decided to try a vegan diet, or even if you can’t eat dairy, you’ll be happy to hear that we have just launched our Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake.
When you can’t eat dairy, or choose not to eat animal products, finding a great cake can be tricky. Sometimes the cake can be dry and crumbly, or the texture can be all wrong. We believe that eating a cake should be a pleasurable experience that brings a smile to everyone's face, especially on a special occasion when you are making memories. That’s why we have spent a long time perfecting our new vegan cake; we wanted to ensure that it looks and tastes as good as our standard Victoria Sponge Cake.
A delicious vegan and dairy free Victoria sponge cake sandwiched together with crushed raspberry jam and vegan vanilla icing. Flour, natural vanilla flavouring and oat milk create this delicious Victoria sponge. The buttercream is made with vegan butter and natural vanilla flavouring that is complemented perfectly with British crushed raspberry jam. Finished off with a dusting of icing sugar.
It would make a brilliant Vegan Victoria Sponge Birthday Cake, or a wonderful vegan celebration cake for any other occasion.
Victoria Baby Sponge
Find our light and fluffy Victoria sponge cakes in baby sponge size as well, in the perfect cupcake sized portions of cake. Great for presents, celebrations, parties and much more. You can choose packs of either 4, 8, 16, 40, 80, 120 baby sponges, and choose from a whole selection of different flavours too. The perfect accompaniment for your very own afternoon tea!
Victoria Sponge Cake Card
Find a special greeting card for a friend, family member, or loved one in our vast selection of card designs and themes in Cake Card! Choice of birthday, anniversary, love, family, friends’ cards, and much more. Our delicious Victoria sponge comes as a Cake Card slice as well! You can add either one or two slices in a card, with a design of your choice.