• Home
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Disclosure & Privacy Policy
  • Work With Me
    • Work With Me
    • Brands & Features
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Gluten Free Alchemist

Positively Coeliac - Adventurously Gluten Free

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Big Cakes & Celebration Cakes
    • Tray Bakes, Brownies, Blondies & Flapjacks
    • Small Cakes; Cupcakes; Muffins & More
    • Cookies & Biscuits
    • Desserts & Trifles
    • Sweet Pastry, Pies, Pastries & Tarts
    • Ice Cream, Sorbets & Ices
    • No Bake Recipes
    • Sweets & Other Sweet Stuff
    • Preserves
    • Sweet Extras : Icings, Fillings, Ganaches, Sauces etc
    • Scones (Sweet & Savoury)
    • Batter : Pancakes, Blinis, Waffles & More
    • Bread (& Pasta)
    • Breakfast & Brunch Ideas
    • Lunch & Light Meals
    • Soups & Salads
    • Main Meals (inc Casseroles and Slow-Cooked)
    • Savoury Pastry, Pies & Bakes
    • Appetisers, Starters & Sides
    • Party, Picnic & Lunchbox (Savoury)
    • Drinks & Things That Go With Drinks
    • Vegan-Gluten Free
    • Christmas Recipes
  • Gluten Free Travel
    • Travel Index
    • Travel Tips & Planning
    • Gluten Free Travel Destinations Abroad
  • Gluten Free Flours/Flour Blends
  • Coeliac Parenting Guide
    • Introduction
    • Discovering Your Child Is Coeliac
    • Food – A Guide to Safe Eating & Cross-Contamination
    • Eating Out – Restaurants & Fast Food
    • Managing Child Care & Education
    • Managing Play Dates and Parties
    • Managing Adolescence & Secondary School
Home » Gluten Free Sweet Treats » Cake » A Simple but Perfect gluten free Victoria Sandwich Cake (also rice free, nut free and optional dairy free)

Cake Gluten Free Sweet Treats

A Simple but Perfect gluten free Victoria Sandwich Cake (also rice free, nut free and optional dairy free)

Tweet
Pin3
Share1
Yum
Flip
Share
Share
4 Shares

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. 

260g plain GF flour blend (I used my rice-free blend that you can find instructions for here)
pinch fine sea salt
2 teaspoons GF baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
240g softened butter/dairy free alternative
250g caster sugar (works best with bog-standard white)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs – must be at room temperature
120 ml dairy free or cows milk
approx 280 to 300g good quality raspberry/strawberry jam
icing sugar to dust

Method

  1. 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.
  2. 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).
  3. In a large bowl, use an electric whisk to cream the butter with the caster sugar and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Split the cake batter between the two tins evenly and level the tops with the back of a spoon/spatula.
  8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown, a skewer inserted comes out clean and the tops spring back to the touch.
  9. Remove from the oven and turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
  10. When cold, place one sponge on a serving plate (golden side down) and generously but evenly spread jam across the surface.
  11. Place the second sponge on top of the first (golden side up).
  12. Dust the top with a light sifting of icing sugar and serve.
Gluten Free Alchemist © 2013-17 unless otherwise indicated
Tweet
Pin3
Share1
Yum
Flip
Share
Share
4 Shares


30 Comments

This page may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and go on to buy the product recommended, I will get a very small commission. You will not however be charged any more than if you went direct to the site. 

I will only ever recommend products that I actually have in my kitchen or would buy myself. 

Please note that where a recipe contains alcohol, it is NOT suitable for children. Always drink and use alcohol responsibly. For more information, see the Drink Aware website.

Previous Post: « Halloween Rocky Road – or Trick or Treat Roulette
Next Post: Boozy Baileys Real Hot Chocolate with Festive Christmas Marshmallows – #FreeFromChristmas (free from gluten; nuts; optional dairy free; chocolate is optional refined sugar free) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

    10/12/2017 at 11:33 am

    Thank you Renee x

    Reply
  2. Mummy Tries says

    03/12/2017 at 8:06 pm

    Sounds like a super yummy cake Kate 🙂

    Reply
  3. Kat BakingExplorer says

    30/11/2017 at 10:31 pm

    Wow, this is an absolutely stunning vic sponge!

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      10/12/2017 at 11:32 am

      Thanks Kat…. I was rather pleased with it! x

      Reply
  4. Jibber JabberUK says

    28/11/2017 at 1:03 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      10/12/2017 at 11:32 am

      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

      Reply
  5. Midge @ Peachicks' Bakery says

    18/11/2017 at 8:48 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 11:04 am

      No Never skimp on the jam! Very important in a Vic Sandwich!!!! x

      Reply
  6. Shaheen says

    17/11/2017 at 7:39 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 11:03 am

      I know Shaheen…. strange isn't it? I always love it when I eat it, but head for 'fancier' cakes almost without thinking! x

      Reply
  7. Le Coin de Mel says

    17/11/2017 at 1:05 am

    Kate, your Victoria Sponge looks absolutely perfect in every way. You're such an amazing baker! Thanks for joining in with #FreeFromFridays. xxx

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 11:02 am

      Aww thanks Mel. You're welcome x

      Reply
  8. Eb Gargano says

    14/11/2017 at 2:25 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 11:02 am

      Thanks Eb…. Still hasn't arrived? I reckon Mr Postie sniffed it out and ate it!! x

      Reply
  9. Helen at Casa Costello says

    14/11/2017 at 11:35 am

    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

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 11:01 am

      Thanks Helen. You're welcome xx

      Reply
  10. Honest Mum says

    14/11/2017 at 9:31 am

    What a beautiful cake! We're gluten-free here too and my youngest is dairy-free so we need to make this! xx

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 11:01 am

      Thanks Vicki. I hope you enjoy xx

      Reply
  11. Angela Entwistle says

    13/11/2017 at 2:47 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 11:01 am

      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

      Reply
  12. Corina Blum says

    13/11/2017 at 12:07 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 10:43 am

      Thanks Corina. Sometimes the simple cakes turn out to be the best and most versatile! x

      Reply
  13. Johanna GGG says

    13/11/2017 at 9:34 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 10:42 am

      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

      Reply
  14. Margot says

    12/11/2017 at 9:43 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 10:41 am

      Thanks Margot. Never made a VS? You must rectify that….. gluten free or not! It's such a classic x

      Reply
  15. REBECCA SMITH - Glutarama says

    12/11/2017 at 7:32 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 10:40 am

      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

      Reply
  16. pebble soup says

    12/11/2017 at 5:52 pm

    Love the picture, thank you for sharing with Inheritance Recipes

    Reply
    • Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

      18/11/2017 at 10:38 am

      Thank you Solange. You're more than welcome. Victoria Sponge is such a classic and every child should know about it! x

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Connect & Follow

  • Bloglovin
  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Me

Welcome to Gluten Free Alchemist.
I’m Kate – gluten free recipe developer, traveller, photographer, blogger and mum to a Coeliac teenager… living Coeliac life without limits.
Join our family journey as I share recipe and travel adventures and as we support each other in overcoming life’s Coeliac hurdles. Read More…

CONTACT Gluten Free Alchemist

Looking For Something? Click For Index

gluten-free-recipes-index

Categories

Instagram

Perfect Panna Cotta. Sweet with Vanilla. With the Perfect Panna Cotta. Sweet with Vanilla. With the desired ‘wobble’ and drizzled with beautiful, tangy Berry Coulis. 🍓
Being a Coeliac household, it’s a favourite dessert. It’s also one of the rare desserts that isn’t a gluten free brownie when you eat out... I miss eating out!
How’s everyone else doing? What are you most missing with lockdown?
It’s so long since restaurants were allowed to open here. We didn’t really come out of lockdown after the summer... I really feel for the local businesses ☹️
But in the absence of dinner out... We just have to make our own Panna Cotta. 
Creamy, meaty, super smooth... 
Who’s with me?
The recipe is on the blog... follow the link from my profile (lnk.bio).
#pannacotta #vanillapannacotta #berrycoulis #dessert #milkjelly #dessertporn #dessertshots #glutenfreedessert #glutenfree #glutenfreeuk #coeliacsafe #britainsbesthomecooks_ #tastemademedoit #glutenfreealchemist #cookblogshare #singluten #senzaglutine #glutenfritt #glutenfrei #feedfeedglutenfree #thefeedfeed #foodblogger #foodblogfeed #foodstagram #ukfoodies #beautifulfood #droolclub #huffposttaste 
@foodblogfeed @thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed.glutenfree @huffposttaste @britainsbesthomecooks_
A brief lesson in Courtesy and Integrity... These A brief lesson in Courtesy and Integrity... These are my gluten free Bourbon Biscuits. Optional Dairy Free and Vegan.
I worked hard to get the recipe right. It took many goes and many tweaks to achieve the texture and flavour that is so Bourbon-iconic.
That’s a lot of ingredients. A lot of ‘getting it wrong’… until I was ‘getting it right’. 
It takes a lot of effort and determination to create recipes that work and work well… And that are at least as good as their glutenous counterparts.
Imagine my utter FRUSTRATION when I found that someone had taken my recipe and (having changed one simple ingredient… removing the ‘pinch of salt’ from the biscuit dough), claimed it as their own… The only credit given to me was that they had been ‘inspired’ by my recipe. 
Even worse… they posted the FULL RECIPE on Instagram, Facebook and heaven only knows where else. 
They made a video for Instagram which has had over 7,000 views. They posted it on Facebook (without any mention of Gluten Free Alchemist initially)…That was another reach of thousands. 
I have received NOTHING from their extreme ‘generosity’ in sharing my recipe. Not even a direct link to my website, from which I am trying to make a living following redundancy.
I’m not going to name and shame (although frankly as a commercial organisation they should have known better)… But INTEGRITY is important.
If you take a recipe from someone else… Give them FULL CREDIT. If you tweak a recipe with small alterations… Still give them FULL CREDIT. Be sure to direct people to the original website post where the recipe can be found in full. 
As a recipe developer, you are at the whim of the integrity and honesty of others not to steal your work. People who take without asking and without any gratitude destroy trust and faith.
Thank you for reading xx
For those of you who wanted the recipe… You’ll find a printable recipe card at Gluten Free Alchemist xx
PINCH OF SALT IS OPTIONAL
We’ve had bunnies... we’ve had Santa’s and C We’ve had bunnies... we’ve had Santa’s and Christmas characters..... now we have (drum roll.....) KIT KAT Mini Eggs. And guess what? They are GLUTEN FREE 😁😁😁😁
How exciting is that?????
I know it’s a bit early for Easter, but let’s face it... nothing is normal this year!!
Who’s rushing out to find some? 
Swipe for pack and ingredients ➡️➡️➡️➡️
#kitkatminieggs #kitkatglutenfree #glutenfreeminieggs #glutenfreetreats #glutenfreeeaster #glutenfreealchemist #minieggs #glutenfreefinds #glutenfreeuk #glutenfreechocolate #glutenfreeeastereggs #foodblogger #freefromgang #tinyeggs #coeliacfriendly
I promised the recipe for my gluten free VIENNESE I promised the recipe for my gluten free VIENNESE FINGERS ages ago. But it slipped my mind and I forgot to post them. I’m SO sorry. 🙈🙈
Oh well... better later than never I guess. And hopefully this one was worth waiting for. 
Although they can be a little tricky to make, Viennese Fingers are super-light and totally melt-in-the-mouth delicious. 😍
Add a chocolate-dipped end and they are even more heavenly 💜
Who wants to try them? 
I’ve linked the recipe on my profile... click lnk.bio to grab it...
➡️➡️➡️
#glutenfreealchemist #viennesebiscuits #viennesefingers #glutenfree #glutenfreebiscuits #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreeuk #feedfeedglutenfree #feedfeed #foodblogger #glutenfreerecipedeveloper #foodie #biscuitporn #thebakefeed #huffposttaste #britainsbesthomecooks_ #foodblogfeed #glutenfrei #singluten #senzaglutine #glutenfri #cookblogshare #coeliacsafe #glutenfreetreats #optionaldairyfree #optionalvegan #forkyeah #bakinglove #bakingfromscratch 
@foodblogfeed @thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed.glutenfree @huffposttaste @britainsbesthomecooks_ @thebakefeed
Have you ever had Angel Food Cake (not to be confu Have you ever had Angel Food Cake (not to be confused with Angel Cake)... ?
Pure white sponge... slightly sticky and perfectly mallowy... Entirely fatless and made with whipped egg whites. This meringue-based cake takes me straight back to childhood. 😁
I took a recipe from my mother’s 70s Good Housekeeping Cook Book and removed the gluten so I can still enjoy.... xx
If you want the recipe, you’ll find it on the blog ➡️
#glutenfreealchemist #angelfoodcake #glutenfreeangelfoodcake #glutenfree #glutenfreeuk #foodie #singluten #senzaglutine #glutenfrei #glutenfri #coeliacsafe #feedfeed #feedfeedglutenfree #thebakefeed #britainsbesthomecooks_ #cookblogshare #bakefromscratch #whitecake #eggwhites #fatlesscake #foodblogger #glutenfreecake #coeliaceats #glutenfreedairyfree #cakesofinstagram #foodblogfeed 
@foodblogfeed @thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed.glutenfree @britainsbesthomecooks_ @thebakefeed
No bells. No whistles. Just perfect #glutenfree pa No bells. No whistles. Just perfect #glutenfree pancake development.
Looking good? The next batch will be ‘dressed’... but there a something quite pleasing about a naked pancake stack... right? 
I’m nearly there... One more batch and I’ll be happy 😄 
#glutenfreealchemist #glutenfreepancakes #pancakestack #simplepancakes #easypancakes #singluten #senzaglutine #glutenfritt #glutenfrei #coeliacfriendly #recipedevelopment #promixx #glutenfreerecipecreator #cookblogshare #feedfeedglutenfree #forkyeah #glutenfreeuk #pancakesofinstagram #foodblogger #brunch #glutenfreeeats #pancakesofinstagram #healthypancakes #proteinpancakes #foodblogfeed #britainsbesthomecooks_ 
@thefeedfeed.glutenfree @foodblogfeed @promixx @britainsbesthomecooks_
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Viennese Fingers Biscuits – Gluten Free & Chocolate Dipped
  • Angel Food Cake – Gluten Free
  • How to make Puff Pastry Baskets (with Nutella)
Foodies100 Index of UK Food Blogs
my foodgawker gallery

CeliacDisease.org

”Top

Don't miss a thing. Sign up here to get recipes and extras from Gluten Free Alchemist straight into your inbox...

Footer

You might also like

Salmon & Mushroom Pithivier – gluten free (made with Jus-Rol GF Puff Pastry)

Tuna & Asparagus Pasta

roasted-pumpkin-soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup Recipe

zucchini-gluten-free-breakfast-cake

Gluten Free Breakfast Cake (with Cacao and Courgette/zucchini)

instant-porridge-pots

Instant Porridge Pots – Homemade

Copyright © 2021 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2021 Gluten Free Alchemist · Divine Theme built on the Genesis Framework · powered by WordPress ·