Victoria Sandwich Cake – Raspberry jam and fresh whipped cream are sandwiched between two vanilla sponge cakes and dusted with powdered sugar. A British classic dessert perfect for dessert or afternoon tea.
Once again, The Great British Bake Show has inspired me to make something I’ve never even heard of. Apparently, the Victoria sandwich is a cake that is a tradition in Britain and all British bakers have their go-to recipe for it.
How is it possible that I hadn’t even heard of it until watching an episode of GBBS?! Perhaps because it’s called a sandwich? I’m serious. They call is a Victoria sandwich. I added the “cake” to the end so that you all wouldn’t get confused like I was.
Traditionally, the Victoria sandwich is a sandwich cake made from two buttery sponge cakes with raspberry jam and buttercream in the center. I’ve played around with traditional recipes and decided that I prefer a little variation to the classic.
As such, today, I present to you my version of a Victoria Sandwich Cake!
Making the sponge cakes
The base of the Victoria sandwich is the cake. It consists of two layers of buttery sponge cake. Traditionally, it does NOT have any vanilla extract in it for flavoring but I think it’s needed just to add a little extra umph. Additioanlly, there is also milk added to the cake to lighten it a bit. Other than those two additions, the rest of the ingredients in my version stay true to the classic.
Before pouring the prepared batter into the baking pans, I made sure to grease them perfectly. Nonstick spray by itself doesn’t always work for these large cakes (trust me – I’ve had many cakes stick to the pans when just using nonstick spray). Therefore, it’s important to line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper. This will help the cakes come out without any issues.
Assembling the cake
Once the cake is baked and cooled, it’s time to assemble with the filling. The filling traditionally consists of buttercream and raspberry jam. However, I like using whipped cream instead of the buttercream. Buttercream is so heavy that it makes the cake too rich, in my opinion. The whipped cream is a light addition that compliments the dense cake and sweet jam.
Since the cake is not frosted on the outside, I am a little more deliberate in the assembly process to make the cake look great. As such, I pipe the whipped cream along the edge to make look all fancy. Also, it helps keep the jam from sliding out of the cake.
To finish off the cake, the top layer is gently place on top and then finished with powdered sugar. I also added a few raspberries for garnish, but that’s totally optional.
Tips & Tricks
- In order for the texture in this cake to be just right, you MUST beat the sugar and butter until fluffy. It really does take about 4 minutes so set a timer and walk away so you don’t get bored watching it.
- I’ve learned my lesson when it comes to layer cakes so don’t make my same mistakes – always line cake pans with parchment paper to make them easier to release from the pan.
- Do not assemble the cake before it has cooled. Otherwise, the jam and whipped cream will thin out and run down the sides, creating a huge mess.
- Because the cake is not frosted on the outside, it cake dry out if left out for a while. As such, make sure to wrap it tightly when not serving it to keep in the moisture.
Victoria Sandwich Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ cup butter unsalted, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup seedless raspberry jam
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- powdered sugar for dusting on top
- raspberries for garnish
Instructions
Making the sponge cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Measure and cut parchment paper to fit your 8-inch cake pans. Grease cake pans and then place parchment paper circles on top. Set aside.
- Add 1 ½ cups of sugar and softened butter to a bowl fitted for a stand mixer. Whip until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix 10 seconds more.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add vanilla and mix together until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder until combined. Add half of the mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until combined. Add milk and mix until combined. Finish with the rest of the flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Do not overmix!
- Divide batter between the two prepared cake pans. Place in preheated oven to bake until cake is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Remove when ready and let cool for 10 minutes in their pans before removing and cooling completely on racks.
Assembling sandwich cake:
- Once the cake is complete cooled, it's time to assemble. If the cakes are domed, slice of the top of the dome to make them completely flat. Cover the top of the bottle layer with raspberry jam up to 1-inch from the edge.
- Make whipped cream by adding 2 tablespoons of sugar to 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Whip together until cream is very stiff. Place into piping bag with medium round tip. Pipe circles all around the edge of the cake.
- Top with other layer of sponge cake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar all over the top and finish with a few raspberries. Serve immediately or within 12 hours. If making ahead of time, cover and chill in the fridge for no more than 24 hours in advance.
Notes
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Never made a sandwich cake before but thought i’ll give it a try and this turned out so GORGEOUS! Thank you for the recipe an your tips really helped me!
A cake something like this was my grandmother’s specialty when I was growing up, and I always thought it was so elegant and party-worthy! But of course she always made it without showing us, so now I feel that I could follow your directions to make this.
My mouth is watering. I have to make this today! My husband and son will surely love to taste this, too.
This cake was delicious! It was perfectly light and fluffy, and the raspberry jam filling was such a tasty touch for spring.
What a lovely and light looking cake! When I do indulge in dessert, I’m looking for something light, and this sandwich cake fits the bill! I’m looking forward to trying it. Thanks!
This is my favorite cake. I ake it for me every birthday because it gives some so much joy. It is buttery, not too sweet, and the cream is amazing paring with the jam. A true feast!
This cake looks stunning and delicious! Love the spongy texture and jam.
This cake was so delicious, the raspberry jam had a really nice flavor. And it went along with the sponge cakes, making the best dessert!
This cake looks great and fluffy, too. I have eaten some versions of this cake when living in the UK. Since I have seen your recipe I miss it and will certainly give it a go. Many thanks for reminding me what I need. 🙂
This is such a beautiful cake. The layers are perfect and the filling sounds amazing. I can’t wait to give your recipe a try.
Oh my, this cake looks DELIiCOUS! I’ve seen it before but had no idea it was called a sandwich cake. CUTE!
I love victoria-sandwich cake, but this recipe is making me really hungry! I am dying to make this now since the pictures really made me crave this. Thank you for sharing this recipe, i cant wait to make it!
The layers in this cake were amazing! I love how you get just enough jam in each bite! Will be making this often for sure!
I think I am hungry now. This cake is too good not to make it over the weekend!
A Victoria sponge is my very favourite cake. It’s so light and fluffy then there’s the jam and cream mmm!
Love the contrast of the jam and the cake! So delicious!
We just love jam cakes and this is super delicious all from scratch is the best !
This looks absolutely delicious and so professional! Can’t wait to try making it.
Raspberries are my favorite berry! This will make a great dessert this weekend. Thanks for sharing.
This looks so delicious! I haven’t had a cake with jam as the filling, but it sounds yummy!
I love that you’ve included assembling this cake. This is the part I struggle with and never really know how to prep ahead of time.