There's nothing like a slice of cake now and then, especially when it's paired with a cuppa or a dollop of cream.
Many supermarkets offer their own version of popular cakes such as chocolate fudge, swiss role, and of course, the classic Victoria sponge. Supermarket cakes can be hit and miss, but there might just be a few hidden gems out there you may not have considered.
In honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend, we thought we'd stick with the royal theme and try some different Victoria sponges. The sponge's name links back to Queen Victoria herself, who was said to enjoy a slice of the cake with her traditional English afternoon tea - and who can blame her?
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We tried Victoria sponges from Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's and crowned our winner. Here's our verdict:
Asda Victoria Sponge
I'm a big fan of a cheeky slice of cake, especially when paired with a cuppa. Although I don't have cake that often, when I do, it's very difficult to not eat the whole thing. I'm not too fussy with cake, but I do have my favourites, with chocolate fudge and Victoria sponge being my top two picks.
I purchased the Asda's own 'Victoria Sponge' cake, and I'll be honest, I didn't have particularly high hopes. I've had a few cakes from Asda before and they've ended up being quite dry, but not this time. The Victoria sponge from Asda was relatively small in size, but that didn't bother me too much.
Priced at £1.25, I reckon you could share this dinky cake between four people, despite the product description suggesting six (maybe I'm just greedy?) Nevertheless, I cut into the cake and took a big bite and was amazed.
The Victoria sponge was extremely fresh and fluffy. It was so light, yet had the perfect amount of sweetness too. The filling was just enough, and the rich cream worked really well with the slightly sour jam.
It was actually one of the nicest cakes I've had in a long time, which pleasantly surprised me. I had mine with a cup of tea and it went down an absolute treat.
The freshness of the cake for me is what bumps it up to top marks, it was so light and spongey and tasted absolutely scrumptious. Well done Asda.
Price : £1.25
Rating: 5/5
Tesco Finest Victoria Sponge Cake
I do enjoy a slice of cake but it's not something I buy very often. My favourite is chocolate fudge as I find it's the most decadent and least likely to be dry.
In honour of the bank holiday, I ventured to Tesco and picked up a classic Victoria sponge cake. I chose from the supermarket's Finest range as it generally doesn't disappoint.
With this cake though, I was a little underwhelmed. It's made with vanilla flavoured buttercream and a rich and tangy raspberry jam, finished with a sweet dusting.
The classic cake, which boasts a new recipe, offers a soft, plain sponge and states it serves six - though I'm quite confident I could polish off at least half by myself. The cream and jam filling was deliciously light and sweet, with the dusting of sugar adorning the top of the cake heightening the sweetness of the overall flavour.
The slight problem was the sponge, which was quite bland and a tad too dry. There's enough of the jam and cream to distract from the disappointing sponge so tucking into a slice is still an enjoyable experience, but I'm not convinced I'd buy it again.
Usually, I'm singing the praises of most Tesco products but this was a bit of a let down.
Where to buy: Tesco stores and online
Price: £3
Rating: 3/5
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Victoria Sponge
Victoria Sponge is one of my favourite cakes due to the simplicity of the flavours. I don't often buy cake from supermarkets, as I tend to only have it when I'm out at a café and want something sweet to go with my coffee.
The Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Victoria Sponge cake serves six people, but as it's quite small in size, the slices would have to be quite thin! I really liked how the cake had a dusting of icing sugar, as not only does it look pretty, it adds some extra flavour to the cake.
Priced at £3, I expected the cake to be delicious and high quality. I'm pleased to report that this was exactly what I got. The sponge was soft and moist, the raspberry jam was sweet and juicy, and the buttercream was some of the nicest I've ever had.
When I first cut into the cake, I thought there could have been a bit more buttercream. However, after trying a mouthful, I soon realised that if there had been more, it would have been too sweet and overpowering.
Sainsbury's have managed to get the balance just right with their Taste the Difference Victoria Sponge. I can't wait to enjoy a couple more slices over the Jubilee weekend.
W here to buy: Sainsbury's stores and online
Price: £3
Rating: 5/5
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