Victoria Sandwich

What could be a more iconic British bake than the Victoria sandwich? Named after Queen Victoria herself, this light sponge sandwiched with jam and buttercream (or whipped cream) was said to be Her Majesty’s favorite and was often served at tea time.

The first recipe for Victoria sandwiches appeared in Mrs. Beeton’s Cookery and Household Management, an 1874 cookbook written by Isabella Beeton. By this time in history, afternoon tea was a well-established social custom, likely borne of necessity with the Industrial Revolution, when many people moved from rural farms to urban areas to work in factories, and the main meal of the day was switched from noon to evening. It became fashionable, at least among the upper class, to serve dinner later and later, often not until 8 or 9 in the evening. Naturally, therefore, one became quite peckish in the late afternoon, so a light snack was in order. 

It may be more legend than fact, but the invention of afternoon tea is often credited to one of Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting, Anna Maria Russell, the Duchess of Bedford. She described experiencing a “sinking feeling” in the afternoons and asked her servants to bring tea and a light snack to her dressing room around 4 o’clock. Soon, she began inviting her friends to join her, and a delightful ritual was born.

According to food historian Tasha Marks, afternoon tea could be considered a radical feminist act. Because it was often served at home, women could wear dresses with less boning and corsetry. Away from the public eye and Victorian-era scrutiny, they could entertain mixed company without their husbands present. This practice “was therefore liberating, both socially and practically,” she writes. “… [A]fternoon tea was a place where women took centre stage and were able to exchange ideas, opinions and a healthy dose of gossip.”

Queen Victoria took to the idea as well, although her tea parties were decidedly more formal affairs. It is said that she enjoyed a light cake with buttercream and fresh raspberries with her tea, which is how the Victoria sandwich got its name. But it’s possible the iconic cake started out in the children’s nursery. Early on, most cakes served at tea contained fruits and seeds, which, it was believed, were unsuitable for children. (Perhaps they posed a choking hazard?) So the Victoria sponge may have first been served in the nursery before moving to the queen’s table.

Although Mrs. Beeton’s original recipe doesn’t call for baking powder, it was the invention of this leavening agent by Alfred Bird that brought us the lighter version we know and love today.

It’s fitting that this was the final technical challenge for the 2016 season of Bake Off, as the Victoria sponge is often used as a standard of baking for the home cook. The Women’s Institute — an organization that was formed in 1915 to encourage women in rural areas of Britain to become more involved in food production during World War I and is now the largest women’s volunteer organization in the UK — holds an annual Victoria sandwich baking competition. In a 2015 article in the publication WI Life, Mary Gwynn writes, “As a competition cake, it is the ultimate test for bakers — the simple ingredients and method allow no hiding place for sloppy techniques or poor quality ingredients.” Because the sponge can be temperamental and sensitive to changes in oven temperature, it’s even used to test the performance of new ovens by manufacturers in the UK.

Because this was the final technical, the bakers in the Great White Tent were given no instructions with the recipe, just the ingredients and 1½ hours. Not being as familiar with Victoria sandwiches as the average British baker, I allowed myself the use of Mary Berry’s recipe, but I did challenge myself to stick to the time limit, which I don’t usually do. 

So with the timer ticking away, I set about to make the best Victoria sandwich I could muster, and I’m proud to say I finished with one minute to spare!

I have a few thoughts on Mary’s recipe, as well as the outcome. She uses the all-in-one method, eschewing the traditional creaming method. The creaming method involves beating the butter and sugar together until fluffy and lighter in color, mixing in the eggs one at a time, and then folding in the rest of the dry ingredients. The all-in-one method simply calls for all ingredients to be added to the bowl at the same time, and everything is mixed together in one go.

In this side-by-side test, Jacqueline Bellefontaine found that the all-in-one method did result in a higher rise on her cakes, but when it came to the taste test, most of her tasters preferred the cakes made with the creaming method, which resulted in a slightly lighter texture. 

The only caveat I would give when using the all-in-one method is to make sure your butter is very soft. Even though I left mine out overnight (from frozen), when I mixed all the ingredients together, I could still see bits of butter that hadn’t homogenized with the rest of the batter. When using the all-in-one method, you have to be careful not to overmix the batter so the gluten in the flour doesn’t get too developed, which would make the cake more dense and chewy. But when you use the creaming method, you can beat the butter and sugar together as long as you like, since the flour hasn’t been added yet.

Even so, once baked, my cake was light and airy. Without the addition of vanilla or other flavorings, Mary’s recipe really lets the butter flavor shine through. It’s also not overly sweet, so the fillings enhance the cake without being overpowered. I think my favorite part is the sprinkling of caster sugar on top, which gives it a slight crunch when you bite into it.

You’ll find Mary’s original recipe here, but I’ve adapted it for American bakers below.

NOTE (12/2/23): Now that I’ve finished baking through the 2016 season, I will be taking a hiatus for the holidays and then going through a kitchen remodel. I’m really excited about coming back next spring with a brand-new kitchen to start baking through the 2017 season of The Great British Bake Off. So please stay tuned!

Up Next: Series 8 (Collection 5 on Netflix)