Every food blog needs a Victoria Sandwich Cake doesn’t it? It is the sponge which (in my humble opinion) says you are either an OK baker or a good baker. Forget fancy Battenberg, Angel Food Cake, Coffee & Walnut Cake, or Jamaican Ginger….., a Victoria Sandwich may look simple (it is easy to ask what could possibly go wrong with a plain vanilla sponge, sandwiched with jam), but getting the right crumb, texture, density and flavour can be something of a technical challenge.
Because it is so well known and such an iconic bake, there is nowhere to hide if you get it wrong….. this also however, makes it an ideal base to test and hone baking skills. It is no surprise that it is one of the significant large cakes that school kids get to make….. and for good reason. The principles of ratio, of creaming soft butter with sugar, of beating in eggs and managing potential curdle and of sifting flour and carefully folding to ensure a lightness worthy of the great queen herself, are all skills which once mastered, will serve any baker for life.
As a child, I remember making endless Victoria Sandwich Cakes…. and yes, my first was in the school domestic science kitchen. They rarely went wrong and they were always greeted with happy enthusiasm by those who ate them…..
These days, things are not so predictable. When you are gluten free, many baking rules go out of the window the day you stop eating wheat flour….. With its instantly recognisable and quintessential familiarity, it somehow seemed important to get this bake right. The Victoria Sandwich Cake recipe I share here comes at the end of a line of attempts to get the perfect crumb.
In testing, I made number of cakes where I straight subbed my gluten free flour blends on equal weight ratios of fat to sugar to flour as in a standard Victoria Sponge recipe, but found the bakes to be quite fickle. Sometimes they would work well and other times the result was heavy and stodgy. Although most of the GF VS recipes across cyberspace do use the standard ratios, I was not happy with something so unpredictable….. so I have slightly lowered the fat content, slightly increased the flour content and added extra liquid to compensate for the moisture-sucking properties of gluten free flour.
Gluten Free flours also tend not to absorb fat as easily as wheat flour and consequently like-for-like subs can result in greasy results. The easiest solution is to slightly reduce fat content, but be sure to add compensatory moisture and richness through additional yoghurt or milk.
Boy…. the result is amazing….. Light, sweetly-balanced, vanilla-infused, moist but not dense and risen to perfection…… no humps and spirit-level even.
Sandwiched with a thick, sweet layer of fruity raspberry jam (I left out additional buttercream, as I think a good Victoria sponge needs nothing more), this cake is fit for any tea-time table and is a perfect offering for bake sales, charity coffee mornings and sharing with friends…. just because you can. It is also easy to make dairy free if you need to.
On the technical bake front…… As with any Victoria Sponge, it is essential that your butter is softened, your eggs are at room temperature and your flour is sifted before mixing. If you beat your eggs together before you add them (very slowly) to the creamed fat and sugar, you will also lessen the chance of curdling…..
I am so pleased with this recipe….. I hope you love it too. I am sharing with :
Free From Fridays with Free From Farmhouse
Cook Blog Share with Easy Peasy Foodie
Brilliant Blog Posts with Honest Mum
Love Cake with Jibber Jabber – Keep it Simple
Bake of the Week with Casa Costello and Mummy Mishaps
Inheritance Recipes with Pebble Soup and Coffee & Vanilla
Victoria Sandwich Cake (makes 1 x 8 inch (20 cm) sandwich cake)
Ingredients (You will be able to substitute for an alternative plain gluten free flour blend at 260g – although results of texture may vary.
Method
- Base line two 8 inch (20 cm) loose-bottomed, round cake tins with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
- Weigh and mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and set aside (I mix mine in a large airtight container and shake well).
- In a large bowl, use an electric whisk to cream the butter with the caster sugar and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs together until well blended and then very gradually add them to the butter mix a little at a time and beat thoroughly, making sure each addition is well-blended before adding the next and adding a tablespoon of flour mix to the bowl if the mixture looks like it may curdle.
- Sift about a third of the flour into the mixing bowl with about a third of the milk and fold in using a large spoon or spatula.
- Repeat with the rest of the flour and milk about a third at a time. Once all is mixed, you should have a batter with a soft dropping consistency.
- Split the cake batter between the two tins evenly and level the tops with the back of a spoon/spatula.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown, a skewer inserted comes out clean and the tops spring back to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- When cold, place one sponge on a serving plate (golden side down) and generously but evenly spread jam across the surface.
- Place the second sponge on top of the first (golden side up).
- Dust the top with a light sifting of icing sugar and serve.
I made this the other day, and the men in my life were delighted. Even our permanent lockdown visitor – who looked very sceptical on hearing it was GF – thought it delicious.
I reduced the quantity to three eggs, and then baked it in a 7″ tin, but an 8″ tin would have been better – it rose to produce a muffin top! Next time, I’ll make it with only 2 eggs, as it was rather a large cake. I was also required by the family to use buttercream (70g butter, 140g icing sugar, whipped up with a little water) in addition to the jam. They reckoned it would have been dry without the buttercream, and I think I overcooked it a bit. It didn’t seem to bake quite like a traditional sponge, remaining quite liquid for a long time. I’m not sure how long it took to cook, but it seemed to be more than the 30 mins indicated.
I actually followed the recipe precisely – normally I throw everything in a bowl and make it all-in-one. I’ll try it with the 2-egg mix at some point, and let you know what happens!
Hi Yvette
I am so glad the recipe was at least a partial success. I am assuming that when you reduced the quantity of eggs, you also reduced the quantity by the same ratio for all the other ingredients? Assuming that is the case, the cake should not have been dry.
It is more likely (assuming the above) that it was over-baked. If you are using smaller tins and making a smaller cake, it will need less time to bake. Keep an eye and check the cake earlier when it looks (through the oven window) like the structure is sound.
Fingers crossed xxx
Hi I’ve made this with your recipe a few times and it turned out delicious! But this last time it ended up a bit soggy inside and burnt around the edges, I’m really not a baker so not sure what happened, could it be that I didn’t put enough baking powder in? I’m never sure if it’s two level spoons, two heaped or two normal, I can’t remember what I put in the other times. Also I used rice milk instead of normal milk which is more watery I guess, could that have been the problem? Any help much appreciated!! 🙂
Hi Vicky
Thank you for getting in touch. I’m sorry that the recipe didn’t quite work for you this time round. But I’m equally relieved that it has been good for you in the past.
When I make it, I use level measuring spoons.
It is possible that the milk may have made a difference, but it shouldn’t have been that significant. If you make again, you could try reverting to usual milk (unless you can’t for dietary reasons) to see if this helps.
Make sure the butter is soft and well-beaten before adding the eggs (and add the eggs slowly).
My best guess though (based on my own experiences of it not quite going to plan) is that the batter MAY have been over-mixed. I’ve accidentally done this in the past and the cake has become a little dense and damp.
If you otherwise followed the recipe and it has worked well in the past, then I am unsure. I know I sometimes have a bad bake and can’t find any reason other than it seemed to be a bad day.
I hope this helps and reassures xx
Thank you Renee x
Sounds like a super yummy cake Kate 🙂
Wow, this is an absolutely stunning vic sponge!
Thanks Kat…. I was rather pleased with it! x
I do love a Victoria sponge and it always goes down so well at bake sales. I may have to make this as our gluten free option at our next event.
Thanks Ness. It definitely has advantages at bake sales…. not only because everyone loves a simple jam VC, but also because there's no risk of melted buttercream! x
Gorgeous as always! LOve a good victoria sandwich cake and I know what you mean about keeping the ratios the same, it just doesn't work with eggfree cakes either – less sugar & fat needed which I guess is a good thing! Never skimp on the jam though!
No Never skimp on the jam! Very important in a Vic Sandwich!!!! x
Victoria Sandwiches are one of those cakes I snub my nose to when I see it, but then I get a slice and thoroughly enjoy it. Yours looks perfect.
I know Shaheen…. strange isn't it? I always love it when I eat it, but head for 'fancier' cakes almost without thinking! x
Kate, your Victoria Sponge looks absolutely perfect in every way. You're such an amazing baker! Thanks for joining in with #FreeFromFridays. xxx
Aww thanks Mel. You're welcome x
This looks so wonderful – you'd never guess it was gluten free. My slice still hasn't arrived in the post though… 😉 Thanks for linking it up to #CookBlogShare. Eb x
Thanks Eb…. Still hasn't arrived? I reckon Mr Postie sniffed it out and ate it!! x
You are so right that there is nowhere to hide if a Victoria Sponge goes wrong! Yours looks a wonderful bake – you are so clever how you convert to GF. Thanks once again for joining in with #BakeoftheWeek x
Thanks Helen. You're welcome xx
What a beautiful cake! We're gluten-free here too and my youngest is dairy-free so we need to make this! xx
Thanks Vicki. I hope you enjoy xx
What a great bake, and as ou say it's risen so beautifully evenly 🙂 I have to say being fortunate enough to be able to use regular wheat flour I really didn't appreciate that making a GF Victoria would be hit & miss. Would that perhaps be due to the different blends of GF flours available? Definitely pinning, thankyou for sharing and for joining in with #BakingCrumbs Kate,
Angela x
Thanks Angela. I was very pleased with the rise!
The blend of flours with gluten free definitely affects the bake, but the main issue I think, is that gluten free flours tend not to absorb fat as easily as wheat flour and consequently, a number of my like for like attempts ended up greasy and stodgy! But you have to remember that if you reduce fat, you have to compensate with extra liquid in the form of yoghurt, milk, etc.
Thinking about it, I should have included that wisdom in the post….. I will go back and amend!!!! xx
A Victoria Sponge is my mum's favourite cake and most of her cakes are just slight flavour adaptations. This one looks great and such a classic!
Thanks Corina. Sometimes the simple cakes turn out to be the best and most versatile! x
your sponge looks really wonderful – I only ever made victoria sponge as an adult so I have never found it to be too challenging – but perhaps it is easier without the weight of tradition behind me (aussie sponge cakes are far lighter) – I imagine all your wheaten victoria sponges really helped you get this GF one just right!
Thank you Johanna. It's funny, when I look back to school, I think my domestic science lessons were some of the most useful I had. They certainly set a base of techniques in place for adulthood! x
Amazing photos! I can't believe I have never made Victoria Sponge in my life. And yes, I agree, standard recipes not always work with gf flours so this is very handy recipe to have next time I need to make something gf for guests. Thank you for sharing with Inheritance Recipes.
Thanks Margot. Never made a VS? You must rectify that….. gluten free or not! It's such a classic x
You honestly cannot beat a beautiful moist Victoria Sponge…and this looks sublime. Your photo's here are breathtaking Kate. I'll be trying this recipe next time the in-laws are over …it's my MIL favourite xxx
I agree Rebecca. I really don't make it as much as I should. Somehow, I always opt for something fancier, but this was so good and without all the creamy stuff, the cake really shone through! x
Love the picture, thank you for sharing with Inheritance Recipes
Thank you Solange. You're more than welcome. Victoria Sponge is such a classic and every child should know about it! x