The Royal Family's pastry chefs share recipe on how to make Victoria sponge cake

Lockdown has seen an entire nation of people become expert bakers in just a few months.

We have taken on Lotus Biscoff lasagne, tried our hand at Japanese cartoon cheesecake and made our own fresh yeast for all that bread.

Summer officially kicks off next week, and with the announcement that we might soon get to meet up with our loved ones in so-called ‘social bubbles’, it’s time to celebrate – with a cake.

The Royal Family’s expert bakers have just revealed how to make the ultimate Victoria sponge cake – aptly named after Queen Victoria – and it’s the same recipe of the cakes served at Queen Elizabeth II’s own garden parties.

That’s right, you’re about to bake a cake fit for a Queen.

The recipe was shared on the Royal Family’s official Instagram account with instructions by Buckingham Palace’s pastry chefs, and it’s actually super easy to make.

Victoria sponge cake ingredients

• Three eggs
• 150g caster sugar
• 150g unsalted butter
• 150g sieved self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence
• 100g jam (strawberry or raspberry)
• 150g softened unsalted butter
• 220g sieved icing sugar
• 1/3 vanilla pod or vanilla essence

How to make a Victoria sponge cake

Here are the complete instructions on how to make Victoria sponge cake, according to the Buckingham Palace’s pastry chefs:

• Reheat the oven to 180C (375F, gas mark four).
• Grease and line two eight-inch cake tins (if you only own one tin, you can bake the sponge and slice in half).
• Cream the caster sugar, vanilla essence and softened unsalted butter until light and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl whisk the eggs.
• Gradually add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, to avoid the mixture curdling.
• Sieve the flour and fold into the mixture.
• Divide the cake mix between the two cake tins and smooth.
• Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the cake appears golden brown.
• Insert a skewer and ensure it comes out clean.
• Remove the sponges from their tins and leave to cool.

How to make the butter cream:

• Cream the softened butter with the sieved icing sugar and seeds from the vanilla pod (or vanilla essence).

How to assemble the cake:

• Ensure that both sponges are completely cold before spreading a layer of jam onto the surface of one sponge.
• Spread a thick layer of buttercream on top of the jam ( if you prefer, this can be done first).
• Gently place the second sponge on top and gently press down.
• Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with a pot of fresh English tea.

If sponge cake isn’t quite your jam, the Royal Family’s pastry chefs have also shared a recipe for garden party scones and chocolate cupcakes.

Just a reminder though: you can’t have a garden party with all your mates just yet – at the time of writing, the government’s restrictions still call for people to only meet one person from another household, at a two-metre distance.

Fingers crossed that you’ll be able to share a piece with your pals very soon.

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