Tea treats in the UK vary, but one cake that appears more often than not on English tea tables is the Victoria Sponge, a simple sponge cake filled with whipped cream and fruit jam that was supposedly named after Queen Victoria because she loved this cake with her tea. Another name for this popular cake is a Victoria Sandwich, so-called because there is jam and sweetened whipped cream (always the real thing – never disgusting frozen whipped topping) sandwiched between the layers of the sponge cake, and also because the layers are baked in what the English call a “sandwich tin” – a round cake pan with 1 1/2” deep sides. Generally sandwich tins are 7” across, which is a difficult size to find in the US. When baked in an 8” round cake pan, the finished layers are not quite as tall, but they are still pretty and taste just as good. For convenience, I sometimes bake mine in a 9” tin or a 10” springform pan and split the cake into two layers rather than baking two smaller layers.

This light cake can be found ready-made in most grocery stores and bakeries across the UK, in some parts of Canada, and in Australia and New Zealand, but isn’t easily found in other parts of the country. Fortunately, a Victoria Sponge is an easy treat to make at home, and takes very little time.

Since this is such a simple cake with only jam and cream as adornment, I prefer to use melted butter in the Basic Sponge Cake, which is my favorite all-purpose sponge cake recipe because it comes out perfect every time. Even though it contains just a small amount of butter, the flavor comes through and makes this cake even more special.

12 Servings

2 7" sponge cake layers

1 cup strawberry or other fruit jam
2 cups sweetened whipped cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar (about)

1. Place 1 sponge layer on a serving platter.


2. Spread the jam evenly over the layer.


3. Spread the whipped cream over the jam.


4. Place the remaining sponge layer on top of the jam and cream.


5. Sift the powdered sugar over the top of the cake.


6. Cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to serve.


7. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 447 Calories from Fat 22
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 5% Protein 8% Carb. 87%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 8 mg
Sodium 356 mg
Total Carbohydrate 97 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 9 g

Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 7% Calcium 0% Iron 8%