This vegan Victoria sponge cake is a vegan take on the classic English recipe, two layers of rich and moist vanilla sponge cake filled with vegan buttercream and strawberry jam.
The Victoria sponge cake is an English baking classic. Make it alongside some delicious vegan scones for the perfect English tea!
It’s a simple vanilla sponge cake with a filling of buttercream (or whipped cream) and jam. It’s named a Victoria sponge because Queen Victoria was a big fan.
The cake recipe is based on our vegan vanilla cake and the buttercream is based on our vegan buttercream frosting.
We decided to go with a buttercream filling instead of a whipped cream filling because my feeling was that a whipped cream filling could make the cake much too slippy slidey! But of course if you want to use whipped cream then our vegan whipped cream recipe will also work great.
What You’ll Need To Make The Cake:
Ingredient Notes
- Baking soda – this is called bicarbonate of soda in the UK and this, combined with the vinegar is what gives this cake rise. It can’t be substituted, it must be baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) that you use.
- White vinegar – this is distilled white vinegar and works great in this recipe. You can also use apple cider vinegar.
- White sugar – this is white granulated sugar.
- Soy milk – this can be switched for almond milk or any other non-dairy milk that you have on hand.
- Canola oil – this can be switched for vegetable oil or even a light olive oil or any oil that you prefer to use in baking.
What You Need For The Filling:
Filling Notes
- Strawberry jam – you can use strawberry jam or raspberry jam in this recipe. It’s a good idea to use a jam that is fairly thick and ‘sticky’ so that it doesn’t just slide right off the cake.
How To Make Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Sift all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add white granulated sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix together.
- Add soy milk, oil, white vinegar and vanilla extract and mix into a batter. Don’t overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between two 8-inch cake pans (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with circles of parchment paper at the bottom).
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for a few minutes and then remove them from the cake pans and place onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Add powdered sugar, vegan butter, salt and vanilla extract to the bowl of your stand mixer and starting at slow speed, gradually increase speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Add the jam to a bowl and use a small whisk to whisk it until smooth.
- When the cakes are completely cooled, add the first layer to your cake stand. Spread all the buttercream on top and then spread all the jam on top of the buttercream.
- Top with the second cake layer and sprinkle powdered sugar over the top.
- Your cake is ready to serve!
Recipe Tips
Measure the flour correctly. Either use the spoon and level method which is the only correct way to measure flour if using cups, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup. Alternatively, weigh your flour on a food scale for complete accuracy.
Whisk the jam. It’s a good idea to whisk the jam before you spread it onto your cake, so that it’s as smooth and spreadable as possible.
Add buttercream first and then jam. Spread the buttercream onto your cake layer first and then top that with the jam. If you do it the other way around it can be harder to keep the buttercream and jam in two separate layers.
Cake pans. This cake works wonderfully in two 8-inch round cake pans (as pictured) for a nice fat cake, but it also works great in two 9-inch round cake pans. If you’re baking in two 9-inch pans then check for doneness (insert a toothpick into the center of one of the cakes, it should come out clean) after 25 minutes of baking.
Recipe FAQ
We haven’t tested this with gluten-free flour but my guess would be that a gluten-free all purpose blend should work great.
This recipe would make around 18-24 cupcakes depending on how high you fill the liners. Top them with a spread of buttercream topped with jam.
You can store your cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can freeze the unfrosted/unfilled cake for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and bring to room temperature before adding the buttercream and jam.
More Delicious Vegan Cakes
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Orange Cake
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Coconut Cake
- Vegan Biscoff Cake
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Victoria Sponge
Ingredients
Sponge Cake:
- 2 ⅔ cups All Purpose Flour (330g)
- 1 ½ cups White Granulated Sugar (300g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda Bicarbonate of Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ cups Soy Milk (360ml) or other non-dairy milk
- ½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Vegan Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 ¾ cups Powdered (Icing) Sugar (210g)
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (113g)
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt Optional
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Jam:
- 6 Tablespoons Strawberry or Raspberry Jam (120g)
Topping:
- Sprinkle of Powdered Icing Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and spray two 8-inch cake pans* with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix together.
- Add soy milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract and mix into a batter. Don’t overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared 8-inch cake pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for a few minutes and then remove them from the cake pans and place them onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Add the powdered sugar, vegan butter, salt and vanilla extract to the bowl of your stand mixer and starting at slow speed, gradually increase speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Add the jam to a bowl and use a small whisk to whisk it until smooth.
- When the cakes are completely cooled, add the first layer to your cake stand. Spread all the buttercream on top and then spread all the jam on top of the buttercream.
- Top with the second cake layer and sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. Your cake is ready to serve!
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly. Either use the spoon and level method which is the only correct way to measure flour if using cups, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup. Alternatively, weigh your flour on a food scale for complete accuracy.
- Strawberry or raspberry jam – it’s a good idea to use a jam that is fairly thick and ‘sticky’ so that it doesn’t just slide right off the cake.
- Cake pans. This cake works wonderfully in two 8-inch round cake pans (as pictured) for a nice fat cake, but it also works great in two 9-inch round cake pans. If you’re baking in two 9-inch pans then check for doneness (insert a toothpick into the center of one of the cakes, it should come out clean) after 25 minutes of baking.
- Gluten-Free: We haven’t tested this with gluten-free flour but my guess would be that a gluten-free all purpose blend should work great.
- Cupcakes: This recipe would make around 18-24 cupcakes depending on how high you fill the liners. Top them with a spread of buttercream topped with jam.
- Storing: You can store your cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze the unfrosted/unfilled cake for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and bring to room temperature before adding the buttercream and jam.
Lovely Victoria Sponge. Any tips for making Sponge Drops without the eggs? Sponge Drops seem lighter in texture than a Victoria Sponge, and having fewer ingredients but I can’t find a vegan recipe anywhere!
Thanks Thelma! Honestly I didn’t know what a sponge drop was I just had to have a look. They might be hard to veganize though since it seems to be a very egg-heavy recipe. You could maybe try aquafaba. Minimalist Baker have a guide to aquafaba that might help!
Thanks, Alison – I have used aqua faba in several baking recipes so might try it with sponge drops to see if it works. 🤞
I’ve made this cake a few times now and it’s lovely 😍 do you think putting chocolate chips in the batter would work?
So glad to hear that Katie! I haven’t tried adding chocolate chips – the only thing really that could go wrong really would be that they sink to the bottom instead of spreading around evenly. You can toss them in a bit of flour first before adding to the batter to help prevent that. I would add 1 to 1 1/2 cups and see how it turns out. All the best! 🙂
I would like to have this cake for my birthday. Is there a particular brand of jam that you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Sherry, I don’t have any particular brand recommendation for jam, so whatever is your favorite. 🙂
Would have posted a picture of it but don’t know how.. She said it’s absolutely delicious. Thank you for the recipe.💖
Thanks so much for the update Shirley, so happy to hear that! If you’re on instagram then we’d love to see the photo there, just tag us so we see it. 🙂
Just made this for my vegan daughter for her 59th birthday. It looks as smells amazing, the proof will be in the eating!
Awesome Shirley, hope everyone loves it! 🙂
Can I grease and flour the sides rather than using a non stick spray? Will oat milk work or should I use almond milk? Also I would like to frost the top and sides so am wondering how much of an increase for the buttercream frosting. This will be my first vegan cake so lots of questions. Thank you!
Hi Janet, if you prefer that method and you’re used to doing it that way, then go right ahead! Oat milk would be fine. If you want a full buttercream recipe then just refer to our recipe for vegan buttercream. All the best!
Hi, how come you used granulated sugar instead of caster sugar? Also, if i was using different shaped cake tins, approximately how deep do you fill the tin for this recipe?
Hi Mel, you can use caster sugar if you prefer. When it comes to the baking pans, it’s important to use the right size. This cake can be baked in two 8-inch round cake pans or two 9-inch round cake pans. You don’t have to worry about how deep they are filled when you are using the right cake pan sizes.
Love this recipe, it makes the most amazing sponge!
Thanks so much May!
Love it!
So happy to hear that Chantelle!
I just started my Ethiopian fasting season with my husband, and guess what I’m craving? A sponge cake! (We go completely vegan when we fast). Thank God I found your recipe, it came out delicious even though I messed up with the recipe, I put way more salt than asked by mistake so it came out dense. I cant wait to make it again, Thank you!
So glad it was delicious Helu! Thanks for posting!
Made as a birthday cake for my 2-year-old granddaughter who’s allergic to dairy and eggs. So easy and it turned out delicious! I spent a week trying out vegan sponge cake recipes with no success, but this cake worked out surprisingly well. I treated it as I would a sponge cake, with (soy) whipped cream and fruit between the layers. I think my cake pans might have been a little smaller than 8″, resulting in a towering monster cake! 😂 Everybody loved it. 😊
Awesome! So happy to hear it was a great success!
I have made this a few times now. As it’s just 2 of us these days I halve the recipe and make one round, cutting it in half when cool and sandwich together with strawberry jam. It goes great with vegan ice cream or soy cream! If it’s a celebration I go the full recipe as written. Yummy either way! I have a question Alison – I am going to try making it as cupcakes and wonder if you have any idea how long to bake them? Thanks for all the recipes.
Hi Susan, thanks so much for posting, so happy you enjoy the recipe! For cupcakes the bake time would usually be around 20 minutes. All the best!
Hi Alison, thank you for the recipes I love your blog. I made your carrot cake before and got told by many it was the best they have ever tried! I made your Vicky sponge cake yesterday and it tasted great although there was a denser sticky layer in the middle. Because of this I baked it for longer and it ended up being a bit too done on the outside, but still with the denser layer in the middle. Do you have any suggestions? I did sub in self raising flour instead of plain + soda and used vegetable oil. Thanks!
Hi Georgia, two things, with subbing self raising flour you would have needed to still use at least half the amount of baking soda. Self raising contains baking powder but that’s not nearly as strong as baking soda. So that could account for it. The second thing could be over mixing. So if you make it again, it would be better to use plain flour and baking soda as written, and then also just make sure you don’t overmix. All the best! And glad it still tasted good!
Hi would I be able to use 7 inch cake pans? I’m looking for a smaller but taller cake!! Thanks
Yes you can! It would probably have to bake a little longer because the layers will be thicker. 🙂
This tasted absolutely amazing, but I think my buttercream was too thin/fluffy as the cream and jam layer just pooled out the sides and the top sponge wouldn’t stay put! Do you have any recommendations for achieving a good buttercream consistency?
Hi Erin! So glad it tasted good! Add the non-dairy milk slowly and only use as much as needed. If your brand of vegan butter was higher in water content that can result in a buttercream that is a bit thin/runny. So you can use less non-dairy milk to keep it as thick as possible. The other option is to use a vegan butter that is very firm (stick-style vs tub-style). 🙂
This was delicious! I normally go for chocolate desserts but I made this amazing Victoria Sponge for my Mom and she said it was the best Victoria Sponge she has had in her life. My Mom is English so she knows her Victoria Sponge Cakes 🙂 Thank you so much. I will be making this regularly.
That is so awesome to hear! Thanks so much Mary!
This looks delicious.👌 Would it work if I bake the whole batter in one 8 inch pan? How long would the baking time be in that case?
Thank you so much in advance!
Hi Tamara, no that won’t work, it will be too thick and won’t bake evenly. If you want a single layer cake then you can halve the recipe.
This looks fabulous. Can you leave out salt? I have become highly sensitive to salt which spikes my blood pressure. I’m learning to live without it, not always easy. Is this salt necessary or strictly for taste?
I think it would be fine to leave it out. 🙂
Thanks!