Eggless Victoria Sponge Cake
A Victoria sponge filled with whipped cream and strawberry jam is a classic British cake, fit for any special occasion, or simply to enjoy on a quiet afternoon at home with a cup of tea. This is my recipe for an eggless Victoria sponge cake, perfect for those who can’t eat eggs but deserve to enjoy a classic cake.
Of course, a typical Victoria sponge cake usually has around 4 eggs in, which is a bit of a stumbling block if you don’t eat them. When I first started baking without eggs I didn’t think it would be able to bake a successful Victoria sponge cake, but with some testing and tweaking I finally have a recipe that I am excited to share.
The Victoria sponge is believed to be named after Queen Victoria, who enjoyed it as part of the afternoon tea at Osborne House (back in the day!)
Useful Tips
- The quantities for this eggless Victoria sponge cake are generous. This is purposeful, and is to ensure that the cake is tall. Without the eggs, the cake tends to be flatter than a typical Victoria sponge. If you want a small cake, then feel free to halve the ingredients, but if you want the cake to have some height and to go further, then stick to the full measures.
- Use a good quality jam for the filling. This really does make such a difference to a Victoria sponge cake. A good quality jam will enhance the overall flavour of the cake. My favourite jam is the Bonne Maman strawberry conserve. It’s sweet and thick with real pieces of strawberry mixed in.
- When whipping the double cream for the filling, do not over whip because it will ‘break’ the cream. Whilst still edible, it will be dense, grainy and difficult to work with, rather than fluffy, smooth and spreadable. Beat on a low setting, and as soon as the cream starts to thicken (you can tell by when the beater starts leaving its tracks on the cream), stop beating. You can then pulse until the cream forms soft peaks but is still smooth.
- A Victoria sponge is an indulgent cake, and it should be enjoyed guilt free as part of a balanced and varied diet. However, if you want to reduce the calorie and fat content, you can omit the double cream from this recipe. I have done this before when I haven’t had any cream in the fridge, and its just as delicious with a layer of lovely jam in the middle. This is how its said it was first enjoyed by Queen Victoria, so it would actually be more classic if you did serve it this way!
Storing the cake
Cakes always taste better eaten fresh, especially when they contain cream or fresh fruit. It’s not always possible to eat a cake within 24 hours (apparently!), so here are some tips for storing this cake:
- If you are filling the cake with double cream, it should be refrigerated in an air tight container and will last up to 48 hours. Otherwise, if you have just used jam, the cake can be kept at room temperature in an air tight container.
- If you plan to freeze the cake, either the whole cake or a couple of slices, you should wrap it with cling film and then place into an airtight container or resealable food bag. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 4 months. To defrost, just take the cake out and keep at room temperature until fully defrosted, and enjoy.
Eggless Victoria Sponge Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
Description
This classic Victoria sponge is made without eggs, and is filled with light whipped cream and sweet strawberry jam, perfect for any celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
- 400g self raising flour – Sieved
- 2 level teaspoons baking powder – Sieved
- 250g caster sugar – Sieved to remove any clumps of sugar that can sometimes form
- 400ml whole milk – You can use a plant based milk to make the sponge vegan and dairy free
- 20ml apple cider vinegar – Using vinegar in egg free recipes is one way to help the cake rise, as it replaces the egg to react with the baking powder
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract – I like to use vanilla extract rather than essence as it has a more natural flavour
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup – The golden syrup helps to sweeten the cake whilst also giving it a lovely caramel flavour
- 150ml sunflower oil – Or any other other cooking oil with a mild flavour. You could use melted butter.
Filling
- 90g strawberry or raspberry jam – I love to use Bonne Maman strawberry jam. I think it tastes absolutely delicious, and is full of real fruit pieces which gives the filling a lovely texture
- 300ml double cream – whipped with an electric whisk until it is thick. Definitely use an electric whisk here. Hand whisking the cream may take you all day! Also, do not whisk the cream for too long because it can break and become clumpy. Stop whisking as the cream starts to get to a thick dropping consistency
- 25g white chocolate drops – To decorate the top of the cake
- Freeze dried strawberry pieces – To decorate the top of the cake.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease and line two cake tins each with a 20cm diameter.
- Mix together the sieved flour, baking powder and caster sugar in a large bowl.
- Add the whole milk and beat until smooth. Add the vinegar, vanilla extract and golden syrup and mix well, it is normal for little bubbles to begin to form as the vinegar and baking powder react.
- Add the oil a little at a time and mix well after each addition.
- Pour the mixture equally between the two cake tins. Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the cake is golden brown.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack.
- When the cake is complete cool, we can start to fill and assemble. Start by placing one of the cakes, topside down, onto a cake stand so that you have the flat side facing up. Spread a thick layer of cream onto the sponge and spread to the edges. We will be doing two layers so don’t use all the cream at this stage.
- Spread a thick layer of jam onto the flat side of the other sponge. Carefully place the jam layered sponge on top of the cream layer.
- Spread a final layer of cream on top the top of the cake. You can be as neat or as rustic as you like here.
- Place the white chocolate chips and freeze dried strawberry pieces around the rim of the sponge to create a halo around the edge of the cake.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 458 per slice
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