Nothing quite says Queen's Jubilee like a classic Victoria sponge cake. No Jubilee party is complete without the Victoria sponge and it is often the centrepiece of any street party across the UK.
But how did this iconic British cake become associated with the Queen's Jubilee? Before we get into how you can make the perfect Victoria sponge, let's briefly look at the cake's origins and how it became a royal favourite.
Way back in the day - the 19th Century to be exact - it was tradition for the upper class to enjoy afternoon tea. In fact, the practice was originally started by Anne Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford.
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She would often complain of feeling slumped around mid-afternoon, so she requested to have tea and a light snack to be brought to her drawing-room to line her stomach. She would soon invite her friends to partake in this new routine of afternoon tea with her, and, believe it or not, one of those friends was the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria.
With the Queen's blessing, the afternoon tradition soon became a trend among Britain's upper class. It was during these quaint small meals that the sponge cake earned its popularity and association with Queen Victoria.
However, the sponge cake can be traced roughly all the way back to the 15th Century and was originally closer to a biscuit than an actual cake. Queen Victoria was renowned for her love of sweet things and the sponge cake was her favourite among anything else.
She particularly enjoyed eating two sponge cakes sandwiched together with cream and jam in between while being topped off with a dust of sugar - hence, the Victoria sponge. While the simple nature of the Victoria sponge gives it plenty of wiggle room for bakers to experiment, we've found a classic recipe from BBC Good Food today to keep with the Queen's tradition.
Classic Victoria sponge recipe
Ingredients:
- 200g caster sugar
- 200g softened butter
- 4 eggs - beaten
- 200g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp milk
For the filling:
- 100g softened butter
- 140g sifted icing sugar
- A few drops of vanilla extract
- Half a 340g jar of strawberry jam
- Icing sugar to dust on top
Step 1
Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper.
Step 2
In a large bowl, beat 200g caster sugar, 200g softened butter, 4 beaten eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp milk together until you have a smooth, soft batter.
Step 3
Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
Step 4
Bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed.
Step 5
Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
Step 6
To make the filling, beat the 100g softened butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in 140g sifted icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extract.
Step 7
Spread the buttercream over the bottom of one of the sponges. Top it with 170g strawberry jam and sandwich the second sponge on top.
Step 8
Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.
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