Magical British Victoria Sponge Cake
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
My mum’s British Victoria Sponge Cake recipe has only 4 ingredients and is the easiest cake you’ll ever bake.
I’ve had excellent feedback about this recipe, so I hope you enjoy it as much.
Best Sponge Cake
The aroma of this easy-to-make 4 ingredients British sponge cake recipe trailed my mum’s kitchen since I was a little boy.
She was a stay-at-home mum for the most part unless she was helping my dad with our business and always had a cake baked inside her cake tin.
She still uses the same tin, no kidding, and it sits in the same spot on the counter.
After dinner, we often had a sponge cake with a lovely coffee or tea.
Other times we’d sneak a piece just because the cake was so light and fluffy it was hard to resist.
A sponge cake is an excellent cake for baking beginners and is inexpensive to make.
Just 4 Ingredients In This British Victoria Sponge
British sponge cake has 4 ingredients, and that’s all you need to make this delicious cake that everyone will rave about.
As you can tell, I made the cake below from my mum’s recipe. Ha!
Once you dress up your fluffy sponge cake with accessories, you’ll see that you’re working with a blank pallet that you can bring to life.
A sponge cake is a perfect birthday, anniversary, baptism, graduation, or even wedding cake for your special day.
If cut into small slices, you’ll get about 12 servings.
Anyone who cuts a cake as I do, nice and thick, will get six servings.
My mum makes her cake with either a thick layer of homemade jam, buttercream, or both depending on if she’s in the mood to make the homemade buttercream icing.
Other Cake Fillings
Other possibilities to fill your cake might include;
- Lemon curd
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate spread
- Fresh seasonal berries such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries
Add a splash of pure Madagascar vanilla extract for a lovely vanilla sponge cake.
You’re working with an easy sponge cake recipe here, so you can transform it any way you like once it has cooled.
If you prefer to eat this fluffy cake plain, you can also do that, which I don’t mind sometimes.
I like to add more icing to the top of my cake and slivered toasted almonds.
It varies depending on what I’m in the mood for.
Strawberry Victoria Sponge Cake
Another fun way to enjoy this cake is to make strawberry shortcakes using this simple recipe.
In the summer, berries are abundant, and why not enjoy them with something a little sweet, like a Victoria sponge in the garden?
How To Make A 4-Ingredient Sponge Cake
My mum used Stork Baking Margarine purchased at Tesco, but we can’t get that in Canada,
Using unsalted or salted butter is the alternative in Canada found at every grocery store.
Opting for a cheaper fat, such as margarine, may contain more water than baking margarine.
If you use margarine, take caution unless it’s oil or baking margarine.
Try to look for margarine with 80-85% fat content suitable for baking.
Related: The difference between butter and margarine in baking
Cake Tips
Always ensure your butter or margarine is softened, and do not microwave it, as it will change the consistency of your cake.
The cake also calls for self-raising flour, which you can find at bulk and some grocery stores.
We buy Robin Hood Brodie self-raising flour at Food Basics for $3.99.
If you use all-purpose flour, add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to the recipe.
If you’re in a pinch for time, this is the easiest cake you can make, so get baking and try it out.
British Sponge Cake In A 6″ Spring Form Pan
I recently made this recipe in a 6″ Wilton Springform pan, and it worked perfectly.
It seemed like a giant British Sponge Cake donut, and yes, I ate it all.
The batter will fill two 6-inch cakes, which I filled with a thick coating of homemade buttercream and strawberry jam.
Printable version below
Instructions To Make A British Sponge Cake
Magical 4 Ingredient British Sponge Cake
- Recipe Type: British
- Cuisine: Victoria Sponge Cake
- Author: Mr.CBB
- Serves: 12 slices
A light, fluffy sponge cake is all you need for dessert after a filling meal.
Mum’s cake is basic and can be jazzed up using jams, whipped cream, berries, buttercream icing, lemon curd, chocolate spread, etc.
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs, large
- 226 g Caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 226 g Self-raising flour (if all-purpose, add 1 tsp baking powder)
- 226 g Baking margarine or butter
Cake Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees gas mark 4
- Grease and line with parchment paper 2 round cake pans
- Add butter and sugar and mix until light and fluffy in a stand-mixer or hand-mixer.
- Scrape down the sides of your bowl.
- One by one, add your eggs into the mixture until they are incorporated into the batter.
- Add in your dry ingredients flour, but if not using self-raising flour with baking powder incorporated, add 1 tsp baking powder.
- If you find the mixture too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk
- Divide the batter evenly into your 9-inch round cake pans
- Bake for 25-30 mins until they are golden brown
- When cool, remove from the tins.
- You can eat it as is or add your favourite buttercream frosting in the middle like my mum did, along with a layer of homemade raspberry jam. On top, sprinkle with powdered sugar or leave plain, cut, and serve.
How To Make Buttercream Icing
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 3/4 cup softened butter
- 1 tsp heavy cream or coconut milk (add more if needed)
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extra
Mix until fluffy and spread in the middle of the two cakes with a layer of raspberry jam or your favourite jam.
4 Ingredient British Victoria Sponge Cake
A family favourite is British Victoria Sponge Cake that my mum would make often at our house in the UK.
Ingredients
- Sponge Cake
- 4 Eggs, large
- 226 g Caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 226 g Self-raising flour (if all-purpose add 1 tsp baking powder)
- 226 g Baking margarine or butter
- Buttercream Icing
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 3/4 cup softened butter
- 1 tsp heavy cream or coconut milk (add more if needed)
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extra
- Extra: Any jam you'd like for the filling
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees gas mark 4
- Grease and line with parchment paper 2 round cake pans
- In a stand-mixer or hand-mixer add your butter and
sugar and mix until light and fluffy - Scrape down the sides of your bowl
- One by one add your eggs into the mixture until they
are incorporated into the batter - Add dry ingredients however if you’re not using
self-raising flour which has baking powder incorporated add 1 tsp baking powder - If you find the mixture too dry add 1-2 tablespoons of
milk - Divide the batter evenly into your 9-inch round cake
pans - Bake for 25-30 mins until they are golden brown
- When cool remove from the tins
- You can eat it as is or add a layer of buttercream icing
in the middle like my mum did along with a layer of homemade raspberry
jam. On top sprinkle with powdered sugar or leave plain, cut, and serve.
Discussion: What would be your favourite filling type for this sponge cake?
Other Easy CBB Recipes
- Cherry Bakewell Cheesecake Blondies
- Cherry Pie Minis
- Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (Keto)
- Cauliflower mash beef pie (Keto)
- Chocolate Avocado Pudding (Low-Carb)
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In the recipe directions, it says that if you find the batter too dry you SHOULDN’T add 1-2 tbsps of milk. Can I assume that it should read ” you should add 1-2 tbsps milk? Thanks!
Hi Sandy,
Thanks for letting me know the error was there. You are correct. I’ve fixed the recipe.
Did you make the cake yet?
Mr.CBB
I haven’t made it yet. I plan to make it tomorrow or Friday for Valentine’s day so I’ll let you know what my hubby & I think. I’m looking forward to it as it sounds deliciou
Send me a pic if you can. Mum made it for years. Now all I need is her fruitcake recipe.
I made this sponge and it turned out a treat, lovely and light, used fresh cream and raspberry jam to
Sandwich together, oh la la! Love to send you pic , but haven’t got to that page in the “ teach yourself
computers” yet! Thanks for the recipe
P.s. I love Canada 🇨🇦
Hi Sadie,
Thanks for the feedback my mum will be thrilled. I have many photos from those who have made it. You can email me to canadianbudgetbinder@yahoo.ca if you’d like. 🙂
Hi there, I’m looking for cook time, temperature and steps and haven’t found any. Am I missing something?
Hi Tara,
Thanks for letting me know. I updated the post this morning with new photos as I made a personal British Sponge Cake for myself and must have deleted the recipe. It’s there now. From now on I’m posting the print version and am copying the recipe right into my posts. Thanks again.
I can’t find the recipe and I really want to try making this. Where do I look for it?
Hi Andrea,
The recipe sure is there at the bottom of the post. I just had a look. It’s one of the most popular recipes on my blog.
I may have missed the size of pans you use for this. I am imagining it is fairly standard to use 9″, however I am wondering about making small cakes out of this, as well. Any thoughts?
Hi Carol,
Yes, mum just used standard 9-inch pans. I’ll go add that if I haven’t. You know what, give it a go and try smaller cakes but just watch the baking time that’s all. I’m sure it will be perfectly fine. Let me know if you do. I’d love to see photos. I’ll even add them to the post so others know it can be done. You can email me at canadianbudgetbinder@yahoo.ca
Mr. CBB
Thanks so much for the beautiful recipe and your help. I am still trying to catch up on things after Christmas, but I will certainly share pics when I make this and I believe I will try to make it in 7″pans. Should be just lovely and I am excited to try it! I am in chilly NL and need something great in our cool winters.
I don’t think you should have much trouble in the 7 inch pans. Perhaps they may be a bit thicker with the extra batter but it should work out fine. It’s freezing in Ontario right now and we just got a dump of snow.
Found your website and this recipe this morning. I made cupcakes – 6 large ones and I my fella and I are sharing one as I write. These are just perfect! Thank you for sharing.
That’s great I’m glad you like them.
Cake looks great and I’m sure it tastes as good as it looks however, it’s a sponge cake. A Victoria sandwich is filled with raspberry jam only and topped with caster sugar 😊
This was a great recipe! Absolutely foolproof! The only thing I did differently was added vanilla so it became a five ingredient cake recipe. ? it came out moist, flavourful and the whole family enjoyed it. I turned it into cupcakes and frosted it with the buttercream frosting. Fantastic! I’ll be making this again for sure! Definitely five stars
I live in Northern Ireland and ‘sponge’ cake is usually a fatless sponge…..this recipe you are using is what we call a’butter sandwich’ cake when it uses butter, margarine etc.
I’ve made your sponge cake twice now and it tastes delicious but it’s as flat as a pancake! What am I doing wrong? Do the eggs need to be at room temperature the same as the butter?
What kind of flour are you using?
You can.buy self raising at Zehrs for 6.99 Brodie brand
If you use all pupose add 1 teaspoon baking powder for each cup of flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
I come from England and have tried making victoria sponge here and not found it to be the same at all. None of my old recipes have worked because of the altitude, but i will try it again
Looks great! I am going to try it, I have been looking for a good sponge.
I made it last night and brought it to work and the gang loved it. Another fan on my Facebook page also made it last night and said it was delicious. I always love food feedback. Enjoy.