This mini Victoria sponge cake recipe features golden, buttery cakes sandwiched with vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam for a classic afternoon tea party treat that's as easy to make as cupcakes! And heads-up, they're the perfect spring and summer dessert for any celebration or gathering.

mini victoria sponges on cake pedestal with english teacup in front

If you’re looking for a pretty little treat that’s perfect for spring and summer and fit for royalty, you found it. These cupcake-sized Victoria sandwich cakes are sophisticated enough for a tea party, but easy enough for a birthday party. And if you need a potluck dessert, this is a great option.

I made these for a very special occasion: Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day has always meant so much to me. I started my blog back in May 2009 because of my Mother’s Day tradition for my mom. (If you’re interested, you can read my very first post which talks about it, and yes, feel free to laugh at my photography, lol!)

This year I’ve been planning a Mother's Day Downton Abbey-themed afternoon tea for my grandmother and her friends. And I think I’m just as excited about it as she is! It was completely coincidental, but the timing was pretty perfect with the king's recent coronation.

overhead view of english afternoon tea spread with mini victoria sponge cake one fine china

For our tea party, we're going the whole nine yards. Our afternoon tea will be complete with scones, finger sandwiches, pastries and petit fours, and a selection of teas. We’ll be having tea in the garden (the lilacs will be in bloom just in time!), and I asked all the ladies to wear a hat if they have one. And delicately wrapped in a to-go box, these mini Victoria sponges will be the party favor for the guests to take home.

This classic British cake is made of buttery golden sponge cakes sandwiched with sweetened whipped cream and jam. Here we use a filling of vanilla buttercream (which is a bit more decadent and holds up a little better than whipped cream) and raspberry jam.

Mini Victoria sandwich cakes are not only fit for royalty, but they are also ridiculously easy to make. And I have to say, they are the perfect elegant treat. My grandmother, aka "Lady Barbara", will absolutely love them!

close up front view of victoria sandwich

In This Article

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Elegant, but easy. As pretty as these little cakes are, they are as easy as making muffins or cupcakes.
Versatile. They’re a traditional treat at afternoon tea, but they’re also perfect for birthday parties, classroom parties, Mother’s Day brunch, or anytime you need a delicious individual-sized dessert.
Customizable. If you don’t feel like making buttercream frosting, you can use whipped cream instead. And if raspberry jam isn’t your thing, go with traditional strawberry jam, or go wild and crazy and use whatever your favorite flavor is! Blueberry is also absolutely delicious.

Easy Mini Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe

Ingredients

In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitutions. However, for the full recipe (including ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.

Mini Sponge Cakes:

Flour – we use all-purpose flour as the base for these mini Victoria sponges
Baking powder – one of the leavening agents for our cake
Salt – to enhance the flavor
Baking soda – another leavening agent in this recipe
Unsalted butter – for rich flavor and golden color
Sugar – we use regular granulated white sugar as the sweetener
Eggs – to emulsify the batter, lend structure, and provide lift (to help prevent the cake from being too dense)
Vanilla – for flavor and aroma

Vanilla Buttercream:

Unsalted butter – make sure it’s at room temperature; or you can use salted butter and omit the added salt
Heavy whipping cream – for creamy texture
Vanilla – for flavor and aroma
Powdered sugar – provides sweetness and structure to this American style buttercream
Salt – for flavor; or you can omit the salt if you’re using salted butter

Other:

Butter and flour – for the cake pan (here we’re using a regular-sized muffin pan for our mini Victoria sponge cakes)
Raspberry jam – or strawberry jam, or whatever your favorite type of jam is
Powdered sugar – for dusting the tops of the cakes

How to Make Mini Victoria Sponges

Make the Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes:

Use a handheld electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
Continuing beating until the mixture turns pale yellow and thickens.
Beat in the dry ingredients just until combined, being careful not to over-mix.
The batter will be quite thick.
Divide the batter between the prepared muffin wells, evening out the tops with a spoon as best you can.
Bake until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 350F oven.

Make the Buttercream Filling:

While the cakes are cooking, make the buttercream filling. Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
Use a handheld electric mixer to beat until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.

Assemble the Victoria Sandwiches:

how to fill victoria sponge cake sandwiches

Once cooled, slice each cake in half horizontally.
Dollop or pipe the buttercream onto the cut side of each cake.
Spoon or pipe about 1 tablespoon of raspberry jam on top of the buttercream on each cake.
Place the top of each cake sandwich on top. Dust the tops with powdered sugar.

How Long Will Victoria Sponge Stay Fresh?

Store these cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove them from the fridge 1 hour before serving so the buttercream can soften.

Tips for Success

The batter will be quite thick, which is normal. Don’t be tempted to add more liquid, and definitely don’t over-mix.
If you don’t feel like making vanilla buttercream, you can use whipped cream instead.
Instead of raspberry jam, feel free to use strawberry jam or whatever your favorite flavor is.

victoria sandwich cake for english afternoon tea

Victoria Sponge Cake FAQs

What’s the Difference Between Sponge Cake and Regular Cake?

A sponge cake is a type of foam cake. Other examples of foam cakes include angel food cake, chiffon cake, génoise cake, and dacquoise cake.

These cakes are made by whipping eggs with sugar, and then folding in flour. Sometimes they contain only egg whites, and depending on the cake, some also include egg yolk(s).

Foam cakes, including sponge cakes, use eggs to provide structure and rise (the eggs act as a leavening agent). They typically don’t contain additional fat, such as oil or butter.

Other types of cakes (which are sometimes referred to as butter cakes), use flour as their main structure and chemical leavening agents (such as baking powder or baking soda) instead of eggs. These cakes contain butter and/or oil.

What is the Difference Between a Victoria Sponge and a Sponge?

The history of Victoria sponge cake is quite interesting. You might be thinking to yourself that if a sponge cake typically doesn’t contain added fat, such as butter, why is there butter in Victoria sponges?

Before the Victoria sandwich cake as we know it was born, sponge cakes didn’t include butter. However, during the Victorian Era, English food manufactured Alfred Bird created baking powder in 1843. Because baking powder (a leavening agent) helps cakes rise, it allowed cakes to include butter, which resulted in richer cakes. And thus, the Victorian sponge cake was born.

Classic Victoria sponge, which is also called a Victoria sandwich, is a traditional bake and an essential component of a proper afternoon tea. According to The Royal Household, it was one of Queen Victoria's favorites and she enjoyed a slice of it with her afternoon tea every day. Since then, it’s been a beloved tea time treat.

For more information on the history of Victoria sponge cake, check out Wikipedia and Anges de Sucre.

traditional victoria sponges for afternoon tea on british tea plates with tea cups

Does Victoria Sandwich Cake Have Raspberry or Strawberry Jam?

This question is apparently the topic of some debate!

According to British Corner Shop (who quoted the Women’s Institute), raspberry jam is the classic filling. Other people say strawberry jam is the traditional filling. And Taste Atlas says that you can use raspberry or strawberry jam.

The bottom line: use whatever type of jam you fancy to make these mini sponges the way you like them.

Does Victoria Sponge Need to be Refrigerated?

Once you fill the Victoria sandwiches with whipped cream or buttercream, yes, they need to be refrigerated.

However, if you hold off on filling them, you can store the mini sponges in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days before filling.

Can You Freeze Mini Victoria Sponges?

Yes! You can freeze mini Victoria sponge cakes before filling them.

To do so, let the Victoria sponge cupcakes cool to room temperature, then layer them between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Subsequently, when you want to serve them, let them thaw to room temperature, and then slice them horizontally and fill them with whipped cream (or buttercream) and jam.

overhead view of individual victoria sponge cake on bone china with yellow roses

More Teatime Treats to Make

mini victoria sponge for traditional british afternoon tea

Let's Connect

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Mini Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe - Fit for Royalty & Easy to Make as Cupcakes! {video}

Why You’ll Love This Recipe