About This 6 Inch Victoria Sponge Cake
This 6 inch Victoria sponge cake recipe is a small batch version of the British classic! Two 6-inch yellow cakes, both with the texture of pound cake, sandwich strawberry compote made from seasonal fresh strawberries. Served warm, it’s fresh and delicious!
And unlike other cake recipes, this one comes together quickly. Why? No frosting necessary! Instead, most folks serve Victoria sponge cake unfrosted with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
Looking for more 6-inch cake recipes? Check out Hummingbird High’s collection of Cake recipes! Popular recipes include this 6 Inch Cheesecake Recipe and 6 Inch German Chocolate Cake Recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Now that I’ve convinced you to make this Victoria sponge cake recipe, let’s talk about my ingredient recommendations:
- Strawberries. While developing this recipe, I found that you can use frozen strawberries instead of fresh ones in the strawberry compote. There’s no need to change any of the recipe steps, either!
- Lemons. The lemon in the compote can be subbed with any other citrus juice. I love swapping it out with lime or orange.
- Kosher Salt. I think that kosher salt is the best salt for baking recipes. But if you don’t have any on hand, you can replace the kosher salt in the recipe with half its amount in table salt.
- Unsalted Butter. I’ve always said that you can substitute the unsalted butter with salted butter without any noticeable difference in taste.
- Sour Cream. While testing the recipe, I found that you can substitute the sour cream out for any other kind of thick and creamy dairy like creme fraiche, or plain whole milk yogurt.
- Cake Flour. I think that cake flour makes the cake crumb super soft and tender. But I know that many folks don’t often have it on hand—so check out my recipe for Homemade Cake Flour.
Best Recipe Tips
About Baking Equipment
- No 6-inch cake pans? Yes, you can make this recipe in two 8-inch cake pans! Here’s how to do it: double all the ingredient quantities for both the compote and cake batter. Add ¼ teaspoon of baking powder to the flour. Follow the recipe instructions to make the batter and divide it into two 8-inch round cake pans. Bake for 50 minutes instead of the 35 to 40 minutes listed in the 6-inch version.
About The Recipe’s Technique
- Yes, you read it right: the recipe instructs you to cream the butter and sugar together for a whopping 10 minutes! Why? If you’re making the 6-inch version, note that the recipe does NOT use any leaveners like baking powder or soda. To get its light and fluffy cake texture, you need to whip the sugar into the butter to create air pockets in the butter. These air pockets rise as you bake the batter in the oven, lifting your cake batter in the process! As a result, the longer you cream the butter and sugar, the lighter and fluffier your cake will be.
How To Serve Victoria Sponge Cake
- Traditional Victoria sponge cake is served fresh and warm from the oven, typically about 15 to 30 minutes after pulling the cakes out of the oven! This is how you ensure a super light and fluffy cake that pairs well with the fruit. But don’t panic if you don’t have time to eat it right away—it’s plenty tasty at room temperature, too. If you can’t eat the cake immediately after baking it, I suggest waiting until both the cake and compote are at room temperature to assemble the cake. It’s much less messy that way!
Get the Recipe: 6 Inch Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe
This 6 inch Victoria sponge cake recipe is a small batch version of the British classic! Two pound cake-like yellow cake layers are stacked with a layer of fresh strawberry compote and dusted with powdered sugar.
Ingredients
For The Strawberry Compote
- 1 ¼ cups (8 ounces or 227 grams) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced in half and quarter pieces
- fresh lemon zest from 1 medium lemon
- freshly squeezed juice from 1 medium lemon
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cornstarch
- pinch of kosher salt
For the Victoria Sponge Cake
- ½ cup (1 stick or 4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and at room temperature
- ½ cup plus 1 Tablespoon (4 ounces or 113 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (1 ounce or 28 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) cake flour
- confectioners' sugar, for garnish
Equipment
- 2 (6-inch) round cake pans
Instructions
- First, make the strawberry compote. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the strawberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a stiff spatula, until the strawberries soften and lose their shape, 3 to 5 minutes. Once the strawberries are soft, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, another 3 to 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while you make the sponge cake.
- Make the sponge cake. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously spray two 6-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottom of each with a parchment paper circle. Spray the parchment, too.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and salt. Beat on medium-high until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, at least 10 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and flour. Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, adding the next egg only after the previous one has been fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the sour cream and vanilla and beat until just combined. At this point, the batter will look a little lumpy—that’s totally okay, I promise! Gradually add the flour and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Use a rubber spatula to divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans. I like to use a digital scale to divide my batter and ensure even layers. This recipe makes around 16 ounces (454 grams) of batter—pour 8 ounces (226 grams) of batter into each pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pans and smooth their tops.
- Bake the cakes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cakes are golden yellow and their edges pull away from the sides of the pan. When done, the top of the cake should bounce back when gently pressed and a skewer inserted into the center of each cake should come out with a few crumbs attached. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes before assembling.
- Assemble the Victoria sponge cake. After 15 minutes, turn the cakes out onto the wire racks. Place a cake layer on the cake stand or serving plate of your choice. Spoon the strawberry compote on top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly all over the top, just like you would spread butter on toast. Nestle the second cake layer on top of the compote. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar and fresh strawberries.
- Serve and store. Serve immediately. The assembled Victoria sponge cake can be stored at room temperature, under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down, for up to 3 days. Press a sheet of plastic wrap against any cut surfaces to prevent the cake from drying out.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
This was a terrific introduction to making Victoria Sponge for a VS amateur like me. The compote comes together really easily and the cake is soft (weird description,I know, but that’s what it is?) and delicious.
I slathered that compote all over, which makes the cake a little messy, but that is in no way a deal-breaker for me. I’m planning to make this again this summer; it will be a lovely tea-time cake for sure.
Hi,
So just the clarify, the strawberry compote is okay to keep at room temp for 3 days as well?
Thank you
As long as it isn’t too hot, the compote should be fine—by cooking it, you’ve basically turned it into a quick jam that should keep at room temp for a few days… as long as it isn’t overly hot!
How come there’s no need for any baking powder?
Love the recipe! Already made it twice hehe.
It’s based on a traditional recipe that’s more like a pound cake (which also doesn’t use baking powder)!