Victoria Sandwich Cake and Trifle

ByIvy Liacopoulou
34 Comments
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Victoria Sponge cake is a classic British cake made of two layers of soft and buttery sponge cake, sandwiched together with a layer of jam and whipped cream.

This light and airy cake is a staple of British afternoon tea and is perfect for any occasion, from birthdays to weddings.

Get ready to indulge in this deliciously simple and elegant dessert that has been enjoyed for over a century.

Victoria Sponge cake was made popular in the Victorian times in the U.K. and named after Queen Victoria, and its lead to believe her majesty was very fond of this particular cake.

It would be served for afternoon tea when ladies & gentlemen would take tea, sandwiches and cake for refreshments before their evening meal to bridge that hunger gap!

Victoria sponge cut image

Rosie, of Rosie bakes a "peace" of cake and Maria, of The Goddess's Kitchen, have created Sweet and Simple Bakes, and each month they host a different event giving a recipe which we have to recreate and blog about it, sharing our experiences.

What a great way to celebrate my blog's first anniversary!

In such a short time and I've made so many blogging friends.  Thank you all for visit my blog!

As you may have understood by now, I hate following instructions but this time I read the instructions several times to be sure that I understood everything.

I did not have 2 x 20 cm tins but I did have some tins in which I do not usually bake in, but I use them to roast nuts in and as they were the right size I decided to use them, so I had them both lined and ready to use.

Batter divided in three pans image

I followed the instructions but when I finished the procedure the mixture didn't seem enough for me.

I emptied the mixture into one of the baking tins but as I thought that it would be just a small cake, I decided to make another one.

I had already packed the scale and put all the ingredients away.

I was frustrated as I had to start from the beginning.

The oven was already hot and the temperature outside was about 40 degrees making baking intolerable, although I had the air condition on.

So I decided to get done with it the soonest possible, just adding the ingredients by heart, without the use of the scale.

I don't know why but I also decided to add some cocoa in it but as I did not have any, I added two spoonfuls of drinking chocolate.

When I emptied the second one in the tin, I thought it was too much for each tin, so I decided to remove a little bit from each tin and made a little one as well.

sponge with jam image

While the second one waw baking, I prepared the buttercream.

When they cooled down I cut the sponge cakes in the middle to make four layers, alternating the vanilla and chocolate layers.

I spread some buttercream and some jam on each layer.

Finally, I sprinkled some icing sugar on top, et voilà.

Victoria sponge cake with buttercream image

I still had the third sponge cake and some buttermilk left but it was not enough so I decided to make some trifle.

What is a trifle?

A trifle is a dessert that typically consists of layers of cake, fruit (such as berries or sliced fruit), custard, and whipped cream.

It is a popular dessert in English and American cuisine and is often served at holidays and special occasions.

The ingredients are layered in a glass bowl or trifle dish, with each layer arranged in a visually appealing way.

Trifles may also include other ingredients such as jelly or jam, sherry, or liqueur.

The dessert is often chilled before serving and can be garnished with additional whipped cream or fruit.

I had some cream cheese and a whipping cream in the refrigerator, so I added the cream cheese into the buttercream and combined them and whipped them together.

I whipped the whipping cream separately but instead of adding icing sugar in it, I added two spoonfuls of jam.

The third smaller sponge cake I cut into three pieces. I put the first piece in a glass bowl and wet it with strawberry liqueur. I then added some cream and whipping cream and continued with the remaining layers.

Trifle in a bowl image

I think I've learned a lesson and I shall try next time to be patient with baking.

Nevertheless, tastewise, they were both great and children loved them, so all's well that ends well!

How to make the Victoria Sandwich Cake

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Showing the texture and colour of creaming the butter and sugar together image
  1. Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl using a wooden spoon or mixer until the mixture is pale in colour and light and fluffy. This can take up to 5 minutes or more to achieve depending on if you are using a wooden spoon or mixer.
  2. Add the beaten egg, a teaspoon at a time, beating well after each addition *see my top tip above*Sift the flour and salt and carefully add to the mixture, folding in with a metal spoon or spatula.
  3. Divide the mixture equally between the tins and smooth over with a spatula.
  4. Place the tins on the same shelf in the centre of the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes until well risen, golden brown and beginning to shrink from the sides of the tin.
  5. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 3 – 5 minutes
  6. Loosen the cakes from around the edge of the tins using a palette knife. Turn the cakes out onto a clean tea towel, remove the paper and invert them onto a wire rack (this prevents the wire rack from marking the top of the cakes).
  7. When completely cool, spread the jam on the bottom sponge and place the 2nd sponge on top to sandwich them together. To finish off, sprinkle the top of the cake with caster sugar.
  8. If you wish to add the optional buttercream, add the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon or mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Spread the buttercream carefully over the jam.
Victoria sponge cake image

Victoria Sponge Cake and Trifle

Yield: 1 cake
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Victoria Sponge cake is a classic British cake made of two layers of soft and buttery sponge cake, sandwiched together with a layer of jam and whipped cream. See how I made the trifle in the post.

5.0 Stars (1 Review)

Ingredients

For The sponge:

  • 175 gr. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 175 gr. caster sugar
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
  • 175 gr. self-raising flour
  • Pinch of salt

For The Filling:

  • 4-6 tablespoon strawberry jam, or your own choice of flavour
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar

Buttercream (optional):

  • 75 gr. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 175 gr. icing sugar
  • Few drops of vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. You will need 2 sandwich tins (cake pans) 2 x 20cm (8 in) with depth of at least 5cm (2 in). Grease and base line the bottom of the tins with greaseproof paper or baking paper.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl using a wooden spoon or mixer until the mixture is pale in colour and light and fluffy. This can take up to 5 minutes or more to achieve depending on if you are using a wooden spoon or mixer.
  4. Add the beaten egg, a teaspoon at a time, beating well after each addition *see my top tip above*Sift the flour and salt and carefully add to the mixture, folding in with a metal spoon or spatula.
  5. Divide the mixture equally between the tins and smooth over with a spatula.
  6. Place the tins on the same shelf in the centre of the oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until well risen, golden brown and beginning to shrink from the sides of the tin.
  7. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 3 - 5 minutes. Loosen the cakes from around the edge of the tins using a palette knife. Turn the cakes out onto a clean tea towel, remove the paper and invert them onto a wire rack (this prevents the wire rack from marking the top of the cakes).
  8. When completely cool, spread the jam on the bottom sponge and place the 2nd sponge on top to sandwich them together. To finish off, sprinkle the top of the cake with caster sugar.
  9. If you wish to add the optional buttercream, add the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon or mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Spread the buttercream carefully over the jam.
Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 538Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 110mgSodium 262mgCarbohydrates 82gFiber 1gSugar 59gProtein 4g

"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."

Did you make this recipe?

Tried this recipe? Tag me @ivyliac and use the hashtag #kopiaste!

© Ivy Liacopoulou
Cuisine: English cuisine / Category: Cakes

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34 Comments

  1. Ivy, I'm so happy for you! We've been wanting to do this too! The new blog looks great!!!

    And thank you for the award!!! 😀 I'm so horrible at these... I've been tagged by one other person for this same one... I'll have to do it now 😀

  2. Firstly congrats Ivy on your new move the site looks really lovely 😀

    Also congrats on your awards most deserving sweetie!

    Glad to hear all turned out well in the end with the sponge and many thanks for partaking in this event - mmmm loved the sound of the chocolate added!

    I have changed my links on my blog to this site now Ivy 😉

    Rosie x

  3. Hi Corinne, thanks for the lovely comment. You should make the move, I know it's scary at the beginning but very rewarding when you do it. I know what you mean about the awards and if you don't feel like doing it that's no problem.

  4. Rosie, sweetie, thanks for organizing the event and I am glad I participated. I think this should be a first step before registering with the Daring Bakers 😉

    Thanks for changing the link. I still have a lot of work to do on mine ..

  6. Sis, thanks in advance. I shall be aware for a few more hours but certainly the first thing I do in the morning is to check the e-mails, drinking my cuppa.

  7. Lore thanks so much. It's not as cool as your site but I am pleased with it. That reminds me I must add your widget on the site. Thanks a lot.

  8. Congrats Ivy...the genie worked his magic & your new site looks great! And so does the Victoria sandwich...YUM. Are you on board the Db's as yet?

  9. First of all congartualtions sis on your blog anniversary and all your awards. Thank you so much for thinking of me, you truly have a generous spirit.If you check back on my blog later on today, or, depending on the time, in the morning, I have something for you as well:D

  10. Thanks for the award Ivy! We're going to need all of the luck that we can get.

    Question for you - why did you move to WordPress? I'm working on starting a new blog (non-food related) and am thinking about whether to continue with blogger or go to wordpress. So, I'm curious why you decided to switch.

  11. Ivy you give us so many reasons to congratulate you!!!!
    First let me congratulate you for your blog anniversarry and for switching to WordPress, it was much more easier that you thought it'll be, right?
    Third, congrats for the awards, it's great to have such a start on a new blog!
    And last but certainly not least, for baking this mouthwatering sponge cake 🙂

  14. Your new site looks great Ivy. I notice it also loads faster than your old one. I will update my blogroll and google reader right away. Congratulations for your blog anniversary. The cake looks amazing!

  15. Thanks for the award Ivy! Much appreciated. Glad to see you're on WordPress now. That cake looks divine! Baking requires more than just patience..it's almost like science.

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