duch*ess of Cornwall shares her Victoria Sponge recipe (2024)

FAQs

Did Queen Victoria like Victoria Sponge? ›

Queen Victoria and the Victoria Sponge

Food historian Alysa Levene reported in her 2016 bookCake: A Slice of Historythat the Queen was in fact particularly fond of this simple yet delicious sponge cake and enjoyed having a slice with her afternoon tea.

Victoria sponge cakes are two-layer cakes, served with strawberry jam and whipped cream in between the layers and dusted with granulated sugar. On the other hand, a classic sponge cake is much more versatile.

Firmly established amongst the nation's favourites is the Victoria sponge, or the Victoria sandwich cake, a two-layer, sponge-like, airy cake with a layer of jam and — for the indulgent — cream in the middle and a dusting of icing sugar on the top.

The Victorian creation of baking powder by English food manufacturer Alfred Bird in 1843 allowed the addition of butter to the traditional sponge recipe, resulting in the creation of the Victoria sponge.

Arthur (Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught 1850-1942)

Arthur was the best behaved of the children and the Queen's favourite. He had a very active imagination, liked reading and playing with his toy soldiers.

The couple first met at Victoria's 17th birthday in April 1836 when she was heir to the British throne. The cousins were introduced by their uncle, Leopold I (1790 - 1865), King of the Belgians. In their memoirs, both Albert and Victoria record that they almost instantly fell in love.

Queen Elizabeth II's pastry chef shared her favourite recipe for Victoria Sponge Cake - and we can't wait to try it out for ourselves.

Make sure that the baking powder is within its best before date and has been stored in a cool, dry place, as if it is stored somewhere humid it can expire more quickly. Make sure that all of the ingredients are at room temperature so that they combine easily. Cold ingredients can lead to a dense and heavy cake.

Victoria: As far as we can tell, bakers on "TGBBS" use the term “Victoria” sponge when referring to a plain old sponge cake, which is flour, sugar, butter and eggs.

Over mixing cake batter can result in a heavy, closed rubbery texture. Over mixing acts on the gluten in flour and will make cakes hard instead of the lovely soft spongy texture we associate with a good cake.

Why does my Victoria sponge have holes in it? ›

Holes in cakes are caused by improper mixing (generally over-mixing). You can always fill the holes with frosting to cover them up, but of course preventing them in the first place is the better plan. Solution: Consider what mixing method you're using.

Prepare ahead: The cake is best eaten on the day of baking, but it will keep in an airtight container for 1–2 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months: freeze the unfilled layers separately, with the base papers on. Wrap each layer in foil and put in a freezer bag.

The Egyptians gave us the world's oldest known cake–and also the world's oldest Tupperware as it happens. During the reign of Pepi II from BCE 2251 to 2157, bakers mixed up a wheat dough for flatbread and filled it with honey and milk. The dough was poured into two pre-heated copper molds that fit tightly together.

Oil Cake. Oil cakes follow the same principles as butter cakes, but use oil as the source of fat. Because oil is liquid at room temperature, oil cake recipes skip the step of creaming the fat and sugar; usually the oil is incorporated into the wet ingredients, which are whisked or folded into the dry ingredients.

Italy

Sponge Cake / Origin

Queen Elizabeth II's pastry chef shared her favourite recipe for Victoria Sponge Cake - and we can't wait to try it out for ourselves.

Queen Victoria was known to have a rich appetite for scrumptious desserts, especially with her tea each afternoon. Among other dishes that she enjoyed, the Queen is believed to have developed a special liking for a simple sponge cake which she first relished at Anna's – the duch*ess of Bedford – afternoon tea party.

This spring, Clive Christian visits one of the most passionate and famous love stories in history – the everlasting love between Queen Victoria & Prince Albert. A royal love story that is unlike any other, filled with both joy and sorrow, but also, a love story founded the brand that would become Clive Christian.