Description
A delicious, soft and light Victoria Sandwich Cake (or Victoria Sponge Cake) layered with homemade strawberry jam and whipped cream
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose or cake flour (195g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into cubes (226g)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature (60g)
- 2 tsp vanilla
Strawberry jam:
- 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries (250g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Whipped cream:
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, cold (180g)
Instructions
Sponge Cake:
- Pre-heat your oven to 335F (conventional, no fan). Prepare 2 8" cake pans with parchment paper and butter/oil
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk to get rid of any lumps
- Add the cubed, softened butter to the bowl. Use the whisk attachment of the stand mixer to whisk on medium speed for ~30-60 seconds until the mixture starts to look like clumpy, coarse sand. Do not overmix
- In a separate bowl, break the eggs and add the buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk lightly to break the eggs and combine the ingredients
- Turn on the mixer on medium speed and slowly pour the egg mixture into the rest of the batter. Increase the speed to medium-high, and whisk for ~2 minutes until the batter becomes smooth, thick and fluffy in texture and pale in color. It is important to whisk properly at this step to incorporate air into the batter, but don't overdo it as that can result in too much gluten development
- Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepare pans (ideally using a scale) and spread out evenly
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with light, moist crumbs (no wet batter). Do not overbake as that will dry out the cakes!
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15-20 minutes, then gently turn out from the pans for assembly
Strawberry jam:
- While the cakes are baking, start making the strawberry jam. Add the chopped strawberries, sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan
- Place on low heat and cook for ~15 minutes, stirring along the way and mashing some strawberries as they cook, until the mixture starts to resemble a somewhat thick, jammy sauce. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools down, so don't overdo it!
- Remove from heat and let the jam cool down for 20 minutes
Whipped cream:
- Whisk the heavy whipping cream on medium high speed until it reaches the stiff peak stage. It should be able to hold shape, but do not overmix as that can cause the cream to become grainy / split
Assembly & decoration:
- To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake stand upside down (because the bottom part will be evenly golden and prettier to look at than the top)
- Spread on a thick layer of the strawberry jam - you should ideally use all of it
- Spoon the whipped cream on top of the jam layer, and very gently spread it out. Keep it ~1/2" away from the edges of the cake so it does not overflow when the next cake layer is added on top
- Cover with the second cake layer, also placed upside down
- To decorate, dust with powdered sugar and, optionally, some fresh strawberries
- Slice, serve & enjoy!
Video Tutorial:
Notes
- Flour: Cake flour will give you a very soft and tender crumb, so I recommend using it if you have it handy. Otherwise, all purpose flour works great in this recipe, too
- Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own with 1/4 cup whole milk (60g) and 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice
- Mixer: If you don't have a stand mixer, you can also use an electric hand mixer for this recipe
- Bubbles on cakes: It is normal for the cakes to have bubbles on top when they have baked. This happens because the batter is quite thick and traps air bubbles inside, which rise to the surface as they bake. They will not have any impact on the taste and texture of the cake, and won't be visible once assembled!
- Serving: This cake is best served at room temperature. Refrigerating causes the butter in the cake to harden, which can give it a firmer texture
- Make ahead: You can prepare all elements of this cake one day in advance. Once the cakes have cooled at room temperature, wrap them with cling wrap and keep at room temperature. Keep the jam at room temperature in a jar, and place the whipped cream in the fridge. Assemble when ready to serve
- Storing: You can store this cake at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days provided it isn't hot where you live. Otherwise, keep in the fridge for 3-5 days and bring your slice to room temperature before eating
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 22 min
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American