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Hello Daring Bakers!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE:My Traditional Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe is a standard tackle the beloved British dessert, made with gentle and ethereal sponge cake and crammed with delicate whipped cream and candy strawberry jam.
Easy and exquisite, there’s not a lot to enhance in a Traditional Victoria Sponge Cake recipe. If you happen to’re searching for a basic, my Victoria Sponge recipe is the best way to go.
This basic British dessert, also called a Victoria Sandwich Cake, consists of two lighter-than-air layers of sponge cake “sandwiched” along with pretty Irish cream and candy strawberry jam after which dusted with powdered sugar. When made proper and with high-quality elements, this humble cake is tough to beat.
A Traditional Victoria Sponge Cake is ideal for a tea-time snack, and it makes for a festive cake for any celebration! I’m not one to cross it up for a candy breakfast with a cup of espresso, both.
Desk Of Contents
What Is Victoria Sponge Cake?
Victoria Sponge Cake, also called a Victoria Sandwich Cake, is a well-liked British dessert made with two layers of sponge cake with jam and cream sandwiched in between.
The Historical past Of Victoria Sponge Cake
As you may most likely guess, given its title and being a British favourite, this cake was a favourite of Queen Victoria’s throughout tea time. Queen Victoria, to provide you context, reigned from 1837-1901 and is King Charles’s great-great-great grandmother.
The cake, which was initially made with solely eggs, noticed a increase in reputation as soon as baking powder was invented in 1843. Baking powder, which is a leavening agent manufactured from sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), an acid (like cream of tartar), and cornstarch, made making the right sponge cake even simpler.
As a result of when baked, the baking powder releases carbon dioxide within the batter. When air is heated, the molecules begin vibrating and get collided with one another creating extra space. On this case, air expands to leaven baked items, which creates the sunshine, fluffy, and ethereal sponge cake construction.
Instruments You Want
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Two 8-inch (20cm) spherical cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer with a paddle attachment and whisk attachment (or giant mixing bowl with handheld electrical mixer)
- Mixing bowls
- Wire wrack
Conventional Victoria Sponge Cake Substances
- Butter: Butter doesn’t solely lend fats but additionally provides taste to the recipe. Be certain that your butter is softened accurately: whenever you push the butter and it makes an indent, however your finger doesn’t simply squish proper by way of.
- Granulated sugar: A little bit of white sugar sweetens the sponge cake.
- Eggs: I take advantage of giant eggs for all my recipes. Ensure they’re at room temperature earlier than utilizing.
- Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour works significantly better than all-purpose flour for these sponge muffins. Don’t fear when you solely have all-purpose flour! You’ll be able to Make Self-Elevating Flour at dwelling; all you want is all-purpose flour and baking powder.
- Baking powder: Including a contact of baking powder makes the sponge cake gentle and ethereal.
- Salt: Salt highlights all of the scrumptious flavors of the cake.
- Complete milk: I take advantage of full-fat entire milk for all of my recipes.
- Heavy whipping cream:Heavy whipping cream is the higher-fat layer (with a fats content material of 36%) skimmed from the highest of milk earlier than homogenization. It’s the important thing to simple but scrumptious Selfmade whipped cream.
- Strawberry jam: I like strawberry jam on this recipe, however see my Professional Chef Suggestions under for substitutions.
- Powdered sugar: Also called confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar. You’ll be able to make it at dwelling and use it right here for dusting.
How To Make Traditional Victoria Sponge Cake
- Utilizing a stand mixer or a handheld electrical mixer, cream the butter and sugar collectively till gentle and fluffy. Do that for not less than 5 minutes, if no more, for finest outcomes.
- Add the eggs, one after the other, till totally integrated. Then, slowly add within the flour till simply mixed. Lastly, stir within the milk.
- Divide the batter evenly between two cake tins which have been greased and lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven till a wood skewer inserted into the middle comes out clear.
- Enable the muffins to relaxation for five minutes within the pan, then invert them onto a wire rack to chill totally.
- Make the whipped cream by whipping the heavy whipping cream till medium peaks kind, about 4 minutes. Medium peaks maintain their form fairly properly besides that the tip of the height curls over on itself when the beaters are lifted.
- To assemble the cake, unfold the strawberry jam on high of one of many cake layers. Then, unfold whipped cream on high of the jam. Place the second layer on high.
- Mud with powdered sugar and serve.
Why Use Self-Rising Flour In Sponge Cake? Self Rising Vs. All-Goal Vs. Cake Flour
Self-rising flour, alsoreferred to as self-raising flour, is a mix of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and typically salt. The explanation why I take advantage of self-rising flour for sponge cake is that it ensures there are sufficient rising brokers within the cake batter to realize that gentle, fluffy texture you need from a sponge cake.
All-purpose flour additionally has a bit extra protein in it than self-rising flour, which suggests self-rising flour will yield a extra tender cake than AP.
Cake Flour is just not the identical as all-purpose or self-rising flour. Cake flour doesn’t comprise baking powder. On high of that, it has a decrease proportion of protein and gluten, which suggests it provides you with a lightweight product, however it’s going to even have a good crumb as an alternative of the ethereal texture wanted for the right sponge cake.
If you happen to don’t have self-rising flour, be taught How To Make Self-Rising Flour at dwelling with my simple information. You solely want all-purpose flour and baking powder.
Can You Make Victoria Sponge Cake In Advance?
Since Victoria Sponge Cake has contemporary whipped cream within the center, it’s finest to serve the cake the day it’s made. Nonetheless, you may make the cake as much as 2 days upfront. Bake the cake off after which wrap it properly with cling wrap and retailer it within the fridge. Take away the cake from the fridge after which assemble it together with your contemporary cream and jam. Enable it to return to room temperature earlier than serving.
Can You Freeze Victoria Sponge Cake?
Victoria Sponge Cake, totally assembled with contemporary whipped cream and jam, doesn’t freeze properly.
In case you are trying to freeze this cake, I recommend solely freezing the cake itself. Let the cake cool utterly, after which wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. It can hold frozen for as much as 2 months. When you’re able to eat, permit the cake to thaw within the fridge in a single day. Then, convey it to room temperature, assemble it, and serve.
How Do You Retailer Leftover Victoria Sponge Cake?
Whereas the cake is finest eaten the day it’s made, you’ll be able to nonetheless retailer any leftover cake in an hermetic container for 1 day within the fridge.
Traditional Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe FAQs
What do I do if I don’t have self-rising flour?
Making self-rising flour at house is as simple as combing all-purpose flour and baking powder! Discover ways to make self-rising flour right here.
Do you want a stand mixer or electrical mixer for this recipe?
Despite the fact that a stand mixer or an electrical mixer would make this recipe simpler, it’s not unattainable to make by simply utilizing good old style elbow grease. Take into account that the cake will not be as gentle if made by hand.
Are you able to make gluten-free Victoria Sponge Cake?
Sure! You may make this Traditional Victoria Sponge Cake recipe gluten-free by changing the self-rising flour with gluten-free self-rising flour.
Why did my sponge cake sink?
Whereas tempting, it’s necessary to not open the oven door whereas the cake is baking.
The warmth and steam escaping may trigger the cake to sink. Your cake might also have sank since you overmixed the batter, underbaked the cake, or let the cake batter sit out for too lengthy earlier than baking.
Gemma’s Professional Chef Suggestions For Making Traditional Victoria Sponge Cake
- When making cake, at all times ensure that your entire elements are at room temperature earlier than mixing or baking until in any other case said. Guaranteeing they’re all at room temperature will yield the most effective rise.
- Don’t skimp on time in relation to creaming the butter! Remember to cream the butter and sugar for not less than the total 5 minutes till it is rather gentle and fluffy. This step is so as to add air to the batter, serving to acquire a fluffy, ethereal sponge cake.
- You’ll be able to change out the strawberry jam with another taste of jam that you simply desire! Additionally, though it isn’t conventional, you’ll be able to swap the jam for sliced contemporary berries or fruit.
- For an uncommon and scrumptious twist, make this with my Crème Fraiche Whipped Cream!
- If you would like your cake to look a bit fancier, place a doily on high of it and dirt the powdered sugar over it. As soon as eliminated, the doily will go away a beautiful design.
