I’ve baked countless cake recipes over the years, but one I always return to is Mary Berry’s “classic” Victoria sponge. It’s simple, easy, and absolutely delicious, ready in no time at all. Recently, though, I’ve started tweaking the recipe slightly, and it tastes better than ever. The recipe notes on BBC Good Food describe it as “Mary Berry’s easy Victoria sponge cake recipe, a baking classic and tasty tea-time treat.”
For this recipe, you only need seven ingredients and two 20cm sandwich tins. Start by mixing the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the flour, eggs, and baking powder until fully combined, ensuring no lumps remain. While you don’t want to overmix the batter, make sure all ingredients are scraped down from the sides and fully incorporated.
Preheat your oven to 180C or 160C Fan before greasing and lining your tins. Divide the batter evenly between the two tins and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through, checking from 20 minutes onwards. Allow the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning them out onto a cooling rack and leaving them to cool completely.
While the cakes are cooling, prepare the whipped cream filling. This is where I’ve altered Mary’s recipe. She simply suggests whipping the cream and adding it to the sponge, but I’ve found that adding a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar truly brings the cake together. It’s not overly sweet, but it provides a delicious flavor that the cake definitely needed before. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form and all the icing sugar has been incorporated. Spread a thin layer of jam onto one sponge, then add the whipped cream and top it with the other sponge.
If you like, you can add the remaining cream to the top of the cake or dust it with icing sugar. This cake is truly amazing, always a crowd-pleaser, and undoubtedly the best sponge I’ve ever tasted. The addition of the icing sugar to the cream elevates the flavor of the cake, making it a true delight. Give this tweaked version a try, and you’ll be surprised at how much it enhances the classic Victoria sponge recipe.
