Victoria Sponge
The classic two-layer sponge with jam and buttercream, named after Queen Victoria.
AI assistance: the introduction, ingredient list, method, tips and FAQ on this page were drafted with an AI writing tool, working from long-established traditional methods. Named editor who reviewed it: owner to supply How we work
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Makes
- one 20 cm cake
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Course
- Cake
- Cuisine
- British
The Victoria sponge is built on equal weights of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. The simplest way to get it right is to weigh your eggs in their shells and match the other three ingredients to that weight.
Ingredients
Cups use the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart. Weighing is more accurate.
Sponge
- 200 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 200 g caster sugar (US: superfine sugar)
- 4 medium eggs, at room temperature
- 200 g self-raising flour (US: self-rising flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp milk
Filling
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened
- 140 g icing sugar (US: powdered sugar), sifted, plus extra to dust
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 170 g good strawberry or raspberry jam
Equipment
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- 20 cm sandwich tinHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Electric hand or stand mixerHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Digital kitchen scalesHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Method
Sponge
- 1
Heat the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / gas 5 / 375°F. Grease two 20 cm sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper.
- 2
Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- 3
Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of the flour with the last egg to stop the mixture curdling.
- 4
Fold in the remaining flour and baking powder, then the milk, until the batter drops softly from a spoon.
- 5
Divide evenly between the tins (weigh them for identical layers) and smooth the tops.
- 6
Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden and the sponge springs back when pressed lightly.
- 7
Leave in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To finish
- 1
Beat the butter until smooth, then gradually beat in the icing sugar and vanilla until light.
- 2
Spread the buttercream over the underside of one sponge and the jam over the other.
- 3
Sandwich together and dust the top with icing sugar.
Using a different tin? Change "Your tin" and the ingredient quantities above update automatically.
Convert tin sizes
Multiply every ingredient by
1.00
Enter tin sizes between 5 and 60 cm.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sponge sank in the middle | Oven door opened too early, or oven too cool | Keep the door shut for the first 15 minutes and check your oven with a thermometer |
| Mixture curdled when adding eggs | Cold eggs, or eggs added too quickly | Use room-temperature eggs and add a spoonful of flour; the cake will still bake well |
| Domed, cracked top | Oven too hot | Reduce the temperature by 10°C (50°F) and bake a few minutes longer |
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called a Victoria sponge?
It is named after Queen Victoria, who is said to have enjoyed a slice of sponge cake with her afternoon tea.
What size tins do I need?
Two 20 cm sandwich tins. For other sizes, use our cake tin converter.
Should a Victoria sponge have cream in it?
The classic filling is jam with buttercream, or jam alone. Fresh whipped cream is popular too, but then the cake must be kept in the fridge.
Sources
- Victoria sponge cake, Wikipedia. Checked 3 October 2026.
Guides for this recipe
Some of these guides contain shop links, which are affiliate links (disclosure).
Buying guide
How to Choose a Cake Stand for Afternoon Tea
Buying guide
How to Choose Sandwich Tins for Victoria Sponge
How-to
How to Host Afternoon Tea at Home
How-to
Afternoon Tea Menu Ideas
How-to
Essential Equipment for British Baking
Explainer
British Baking Terms Explained
Buying guide
Mixing Bowls: Glass, Steel or Ceramic?
Buying guide
Kitchen Scales for Baking: What to Look For
Buying guide
Sieves and Flour Sifters: Do You Need Both?
Buying guide
Palette Knives for Icing and Baking
Buying guide
Cooling Racks: Why Every Baker Needs One
Buying guide
Oven Thermometers: Why Your Dial May Be Wrong
Buying guide
Piping Bags and Nozzles for Beginners
Buying guide
Stand Mixers: What to Look For
Buying guide
Hand Mixers: A Buyer's Guide
Buying guide
Cake Servers and Cake Slices: How to Choose
Buying guide
Cake and Biscuit Tins: Keeping Bakes Fresh
Buying guide
Cake Turntables: The Secret to Smoothly Iced Cakes
Buying guide
Baking Trays and Bun Tins: What You Need
Buying guide
Springform and Deep Cake Tins: A Guide
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Card photos: A tiered cake stand with afternoon tea sandwiches, scones and cakes, RT6HPU via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A round, deep cake tin, Douglas P Perkins via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0, cropped; Scones with jam and cream, a cup of tea and a china teapot, AlphaLemur via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A cream tea with scones, jam and clotted cream, Andy Li via Wikimedia Commons, CC0; Small cakes cooling on a wire rack, James Petts from London, England via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; Baking ingredients: eggs, lemons, butter and sugar, Marc-Lautenbacher via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; Stacked cream-coloured ceramic mixing bowls, RLiverpool2021 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A traditional mechanical kitchen scale, Berthold Werner via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; Two stainless steel flour sifters, Shliphmash via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain; A set of small steel palette knives, Original uploader was IYY at en.wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; A wire cooling rack, Donovan Govan. via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; An oven thermometer hanging on an oven shelf, Veganbaking.net from USA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; Piping buttercream decoration onto a cake, Michael Prudhomme, CakesMadeEasy.com via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5, cropped; A white stand mixer with a stainless steel bowl, Your Best Digs via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; An electric hand mixer resting on a kitchen worktop, Santeri Viinamäki via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A pierced silver cake server, Creator:William Plummer via Wikimedia Commons, CC0; A display of old decorated biscuit tins, Gryffindor via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; A pastry cook icing a cake on a turntable, Serge Melki from Indianapolis, USA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; Mince pies baked in a bun tray, Jeremy Keith via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; A strawberry pie in a springform tin, W.carter via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0, cropped; A Bakewell tart with a slice cut, showing the jam and almond filling, Brynn via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; A round loaf of brown soda bread cooling on a wire rack, michael clarke stuff via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; A slice of lemon drizzle cake served with a cup of tea, Acabashi via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped. All credits: image credits.