In England all ingredients are weighed so the measurements in this recipe look a little strange. They also use self rising flour for cakes which is available in the is country but you rarely see it called for in recipes. I used to make this at Stapleford Park the country house hotel where I worked in England for our afternoon tea. I spent 3 years over there doing extensive R and D work on afternoon teas and have almost had my fill of scones and clotted cream. From High Tea in London to a Cream Tea in Devonshire, they all are different and they all are wonderfully restorative.
This cake was named after Queen Victoria though we don’t know if it was her favorite cake or not. It is used as a base for many cakes.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Cook: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Cook: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar (about 4 ounces)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon self-rising flour (about 4 ounces), sifted
- Confectioners’ sugar, for rolling
- 1 cup raspberry jam
- 4 ounces marzipan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and cream well. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt and continue to mix well, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally. Fold in the sifted flour and pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch in the center, about 25 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Unmold and, using a serrated knife, slice the cake in half horizontally into 2 layers.
- To make Victoria Sponge Sandwiches: Dust your rolling pin and work surface with confectioners’ sugar, and roll the marzipan into a disk the size of the cake. Using a knife, trim the marzipan to fit the circumference of the cake exactly. Spread the cut-sides of the cake layers with raspberry jam and sandwich the marzipan layer in between the jam-dressed cake layers. Press all the layers together; then cut into wedges, to serve. Dust the wedges liberally with confectioners’ sugar.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 269 |
| Total Fat | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 27 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 47 mg |
| Sodium | 146 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 269 |
| Total Fat | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 27 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 47 mg |
| Sodium | 146 mg |