Victoria sponge: the simplest British cake
Two sponges, jam, cream and a dusting of sugar. That’s the whole cake.
What you need
- 200 g (1 cup) butter, soft
- 200 g (1 cup) caster sugar (or ultrafine baking sugar)
- 4 eggs
- 200 g (1½ cups) self-raising flour (or plain flour with 2 tsp baking powder)
- 2 tbsp milk
- Raspberry jam, whipped cream and a little icing sugar to finish
- Two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake tins, greased and lined
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, with a spoonful of flour each time so it doesn’t split.
- Fold in the rest of the flour and the milk.
- Divide between the two tins and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and springy.
- Cool completely. Spread jam on one sponge and whipped cream on top of it, sandwich the other on top and dust with icing sugar.
Oven times vary, so check with a skewer: it should come out clean.