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Queen Victoria Sponge Cake

Sponge Cake was apparently Queen Victoria's favorite. In 1855 Queen Victoria enjoyed afternoon tea with formal dress and cake . . . .and so of course, I made it for our Victoria Day long weekend in Canada which is held in May. Another important note about cakes that are baked with butter. They really are best-served room temperature. Once the butter hardens in the cake. . it seems dry. .but served fresh the day it is made. .the crumb is tender and moist. Put the cake together with custard and cream. .no more than an hour before serving. Refrigerate until serving. Of course, you could impress your guest by completing it while they watch. . .


  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar or berry sugar. .or caster sugar (UK recipes all call for caster sugar which is a cross between North American white granulated sugar and icing/confectioners sugar. . .a quick blitz in the blender would probably reduce the granulated sugar to caster sugar perfectly)
  • 1 cup of soft butter. .(with my experimenting. . I found that the butter should be very soft. . .not melting. . but soft enough to be starting to slump)
  • 4  large farm fresh eggs 
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Trace around your cake pan. . .and cut out parchment paper to line the bottom. The recipe called for an 8-inch pan. I used a 6 so experiment with what you have.
  2. Sift the flour and baking powder onto a piece of waxed paper. (I use this so I can funnel it into the batter)
  3. In your mixer bowl, cream the butter and then add the sugar and whip till light.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time until each egg is completely beaten in.
  5. Add 1/3 of the flour and then 1/3 milk until both are added in and then the vanilla.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  7. Bake the cake for 20 minutes and then test. Mine took longer because it was a higher pan. I turned my oven down to 375 for another 10 minutes and tested it with a toothpick until it came out clean.
I then let the cake cool in the pan upside down for 10 minutes and removed it to cool completely on a wire rack. I split the cake in half, filled with a simple custard that I've used for years.
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  1. Blend dry ingredients in a medium saucepan or microwave-safe mixing bowl. Add the egg yolks and the milk, whisk and heat until it comes to a boil and thickens.
Whip 1 cup of cream and 2 tablespoons sugar and pop it into a piping bag with a large star tip and then pretend you are an artist and have fun swirling on top of the cake. Garnish with some fresh berries.

11 comments:

  1. OOOH yummy! I have not had a good sponge cake in YEARS!!!

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  2. Looks wonderful, Lovella. You sure know how to present a cake! I also appreciate the tip about not greasing the sides of a cake pan. I'll remember that next time I bake a cake.
    I wonder if berry sugar would be like their castor sugar? I know it is quite a bit finer than granulated sugar. Also, confectioners sugar has cornstarch in it so it would be different yet.

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  3. Beautiful cake Lovella! Perfect for a special occasion..

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  4. I've read that castor sugar and berry sugar are the same.

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  5. Beautiful description and presentation! Sometimes we just need to take time and find more excuses to celebrate!

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  6. Queen Victoria had good taste! Your replica looks amazing.

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  7. Lovella, do you not grease your cake tin for any cake? Are there any exceptions? This is something good to know.

    Sonya, Australia

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  8. What a yummy looking cake ! I make Victoria Sponge cakes for my family and friends at work, and vary the fillings sometimes using strawberry jam and vanilla butter cream or coffee and walnut or lemon curd. The recipe books I have always say to use two cake tins. I go for the eight inch round tins about 2 inches deep. The ingredients are 8oz butter 8oz caster sugar and 8oz self raising flour and 4 large eggs. I divide the mixture between two tins and bake for about 25 minutes. Did you use one large tin ? If so this is why it may have sunk in the middle. If you ever come over to England I would recommend Bettys tearoom in Harrogate they make very special cakes.Theyalso have a website. Regards Mrs Stanley From Birmingham England

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  9. Thanks will try and let you know. Am Brit in Canada, struggling with oven, temperature, ingredients etc. thanks x

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