Victoria Sponge Cupcakes

05/09/2012 by thebakingexplorer 46 Comments

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These Victoria Sponge Cupcakes are a daintier version of the classic and well loved Victoria Sponge Cake. As much as I love a big slice of Victoria Sponge Cake, sometimes it's nice to have a mini version for easier serving. If you are hosting an afternoon tea party, these mini Victoria Sponge Cupcakes are a delightful way to serve this traditional treat. Victoria Sponge is usually made with a jam filling, and sometimes jam and buttercream. My favourite filling is jam and whipped cream so that's what I've filled these mini versions with. I think these cupcakes would be so lovely for Mother's Day, or perhaps a baby shower.

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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter/baking spread and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cupcakes, my preferred brand is Stork. I find baking spread gives a better rise and fluffier result with baking cupcakes.
For the best flavour, I recommend using a good quality vanilla extract and not an essence
For more information on how to bake perfect cupcakes, check out my Vanilla Cupcakes recipe!
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Victoria Sponge Cupcakes

Make the sponge batter by mixing together butter or baking spread and caster sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla extract and mix in. Use a spatula to gently fold in the self raising flour.

Divide the mixture into 12 cupcake cases in a tray. It doesn't matter which colour paper cases you use as you're going to peel them off anyway. You could even use silicone cases. Bake for around 25-30 minutes until they are risen and a thin skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

When the cupcakes are fully cooled, remove the cupcake cases and cut them in half horizontally. Onto the bottom layer pipe blobs of whipped cream, then drizzle jam over and between the blobs. Press the top back on and dust them all with icing sugar.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How do you get flat tops on cupcakes?

There are a few things you can do to achieve a flat top on your cupcakes:

Bake them on a low temperature in the centre of the oven. I bake these cupcakes on 140C Fan for 25-30 minutes to get the flattest top possible. Some ovens run hotter than the dial says, so an oven thermometer can give you an accurate result. Try turning your oven down next time you make cupcakes, and bake them for a bit longer, and you'll see a difference.
Another important thing is not to overfill your cupcake cases. If you put too much mixture in you will get a 'peak' as they bake. Aim to fill them two thirds full. An ice cream scoop can be helpful to create an equal amount of batter per cupcake.
Don't over mix your batter when you add the flour, you only want to mix until you can't see flour anymore.
Once you've made your cupcake batter, get it into the oven straight away. Leaving it sat out will affect the final result.

Is butter or a baking spread better for cupcakes?

I prefer to use a baking spread (my preferred brand is Stork) for cupcake and cake sponges. I find that they are easier to use and they make the sponge rise more. You can also use most baking spread straight from the fridge, which is handy during a last minute baking emergency!

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cupcakes will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. It will also save you a lot of time and arm ache using an electric mixer to whip the cream. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!

How long do the cupcakes last for and can they be frozen?

The cupcakes will last for 2-3 days in an airtight container, if you have added the whipped cream they you will need to keep them in the fridge. The whipped cream is better the fresher it is, so I do recommend adding this close to serving. You can freeze the cupcakes before cutting them in half and filling them. To freeze them, wrap the fully cooled cupcakes well in cling film or put them in an airtight container. Once they are filled with the jam and cream, they are not suitable for freezing.

Can you make the cupcakes with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 1 + ¾ teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can the cupcakes be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 1 + ¾ teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread for the cupcakes and a dairy free cream substitute for the filling. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cupcakes if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

More tips for making the Victoria Sponge Cupcakes:

I filled the cupcakes with strawberry jam, but you could use raspberry, blackcurrant or even lemon curd
You could also fill the cupcakes with buttercream or ganache instead of whipped cream.
For piping the whipped cream, I used a Wilton 4B piping nozzle.

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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