Victoria Day-A Recipe for Victoria Sponge

Today marks the birthday of Queen Victoria, who ruled the British Empire for 63 years, always with a dog by her side







In her honor I am posting a recipe for Victoria Sponge, one of her favorite cakes.

Victoria Sponge 

Serves 8-10
Preparation Time: 35-40 minutes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

• Preheat  the oven to 350F
• With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time , along with the vanilla.
• With a spatula, fold in the flour and baking powder and mix until smooth.
• Divide the batter between 2 buttered and floured 8-inch cake tins and smooth the surface by tapping gently on the side of the tins. (Or do what I do and bake in one tin and then slice in half).
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Test for doneness with a knife or skewer (if its crumb free, its done). Turn out onto wire rack to cool.

Butter Cream Icing1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups of confectioners’s sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk

• In an electric mixer beat the butter until light and creamy, then add the vanilla.
• Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar.
• Add just enough milk to make the mixture soft and spreadable.

To assembleRaspberry jam (I use Smuckers)

1/2 pint raspberries

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

• Once the cake has cooled, spread one half of the cake evenly with the butter cream. Spread the other half with raspberry jam.
• Put the two halves together, with the cream facing the jam, and place on a cake plate. Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar

If you want to read about Victoria and her pug Bosco, who was a favorite of hers although not as famous as her beloved spaniel-Dash, check out our post from last year link.  


I also highly recommend the book pictured with the cake Noble Hounds and Dear Companions it is filled with gorgeous photos of royal family and their dogs from the royal photography collecton.