Victoria Sponge Traybake

This Victoria Sponge Tray Bake recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd and absolutely delicious. Simple but classic with a strawberry jam filling.

Course cake

Cuisine English

Servings

Calories 385kcal

Author Apply To Face Blog

Ingredients

400 grams caster sugar
400 grams self raising flour
400 grams butter or baking spread butter - room temp
8 large eggs
pinch of salt
200 grams strawberry jam

Buttercream icing

300 grams icing sugar
150 grams butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 170 C/ 325 F/Gas Mark 3 standard or (150 C/300 F fan )
Using a very large mixing bowl or a free standing mixer put your 400 grams (14 oz) butter/baking spread in with your 400 grams (14 oz) sugar.
Beat with an electric whisk or mixer for 4 minutes. You can use a wooden spoon too. The mixture will pale and thicken a little.
Now add the 8 eggs, 400 grams (14 0z) flour, salt and 3 tbsp milk.
Beat again for about 4 minutes until it's a soft dropping consistency that falls off a spoon easily.
Line a 22 cm by 32 cm metal baking tray with baking paper (not greaseproof otherwise it will stick).
Fill with your batter and gently level off with a spatula or back of a spoon.
Bake for about an hour and ten minutes at 170 C/ 325 F/Gas Mark 3 standard (150 C fan/300 F). If the top starts to catch towards the end of baking time then turn down to 150 C/300 F standard (130 C fan)/ Gas Mark 2 but check after an hour by inserting a skewer or cocktail spoon to see if it comes out clean. It's important not to overbake as no one likes a dry cake.
Allow to cool for five minutes or so in the tin before using the baking paper to gently remove from your tin. Carefully remove your baking paper and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Mix the buttercream icing ingredients together. I like to use a food processor as it stops the icing sugar from going everywhere. But using a electric whisk or wooden spoon works too.
Now if you are confident to cut this cake in half freehand then do so but I like to use a ruler and go round the whole cake marking halfway up so I can easily use a large knife to slice that baby in two.
Spread with your favourite jam and top with blobs of buttercream smoothing flat with a flat spatula. Go right to the edges.
Top with the sponge and dust with icing sugar.
Cut into squares. I go 6 along and 4 across to get 24 cute pieces. Or 4 along and 3 across to get 12.
Pour yourself a cup of tea.

Notes

Use any flavoured jam, buttercream or softly whipped cream to suit the occasion you are baking for.
Make sure your buttercream is at a warm room temperature so that it will spread all the easier.
Use a independent baking thermometer to make sure your oven is at the correct temperature. A lot of ovens are running hotter and colder than they say they are.
Don't overbake if possible, this cake has nothing much to hide behind so do pay attention to baking it just right.
Store in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze individual slices or the whole cake double wrapped or in a stout plastic container for up to 3 months. Thaw for a couple of hours still wrapped at room temperature.
To make this cake gluten free then use gluten free flour and a couple of extra tbsp of milk as gluten free flour absorbs more liquid.
Take your time to mark out accurate levels on your cake to cut it in half. It's a lot of cake to look wonky.
Don't cut short the beating time it really makes a difference to the lightness of the cake.
Don't cut short the beating time it really makes a difference to the lightness of the cake.

Nutrition