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    Home » Cakes and Cupcakes

    Vegan Victoria Sponge

    Published: Feb 24, 2021 Updated: Jun 28, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Victoria Sponge

    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.

    Cake with one slice cut on a white cake stand.

    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:

    Ingredients to make the vegan sponge 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:

    Ingredients for the buttercream and jam 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.
    Vegan Victoria sponge with one slice cut on a white cake stand.

    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.
    Collage of two photos showing dry ingredients in mixing bowl and mixed together.
    • Add soy milk, oil, white vinegar and vanilla extract and mix into a batter. Don’t overmix.
    Collage of two photos showing wet ingredients added to dry and mixed into a cake batter.
    • 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.
    Collage of two photos showing cake before and after baking.
    • 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.
    Two photo collage showing ingredients for buttercream added to stand mixer and then whipped into buttercream.
    • Add the jam to a bowl and use a small whisk to whisk it until smooth.
    Collage of two photos showing strawberry jam added to bowl and then whisked till 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.
    Two photo collage showing buttercream added to cake layer and then topped with strawberry jam.
    • Top with the second cake layer and sprinkle powdered sugar over the top.
    • Your cake is ready to serve!
    Collage of two photos showing powdered sugar added to top of cake and then a side view of the whole cake.

    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.

    Victoria sponge cake on a white cake stand.

    Recipe FAQ

    Can this be made 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.

    Can you make 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.

    How to store Victoria sponge cake?

    You can store your cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

    Can you freeze it?

    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.

    Slice of vegan Victoria sponge cake on a white plate.

    More Delicious Vegan Cakes

    1. Vegan Lemon Cake
    2. Vegan Orange Cake
    3. Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
    4. Vegan Carrot Cake
    5. Vegan Coconut Cake
    6. Vegan Biscoff Cake
    Forkful of vegan Victoria sponge cake.

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Victoria sponge cake on a white cake stand.

    Vegan Victoria Sponge

    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. 
    4.98 from 34 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cakes, Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 452kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    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
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    1. 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. 
    2. 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. 
    3. 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. 
    4. 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. 
    5. 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.
    6. 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. 
    7. 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. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 71.2g | Protein: 3.8g | Fat: 17.2g | Saturated Fat: 2.8g | Sodium: 433mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 48.2g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mickey says

      January 09, 2023 at 6:48 am

      Hi! is there any way to make this chocolate flavored? Thank you.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        January 13, 2023 at 2:28 pm

        Hi Mickey, you could use our vegan chocolate cake recipe instead.

        Reply
    2. Vix says

      December 26, 2022 at 12:10 pm

      Hi Alison
      I made this cake recently and it was really yummy!
      The only thing was that it was a bit dense in some parts, especially the bottom bits which were a bit sticky. The cooking time was right.
      The only think I can thing of is overmixing ? Also I used parchment paper and followed the recipe fully. I have cake tins that have push out bases so do I need to use the parchment paper ?
      Any help and guidance would be great for a beginner like me!
      Thanks5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 29, 2022 at 9:40 am

        Hi Vix, parchment paper is not an issue, I almost always use it. There are a few reasons this can happen: over-measuring the flour, over-mixing the batter, not baking the cakes right away.

        Reply
    3. Linda says

      November 16, 2022 at 3:18 pm

      Hi, I’m going to try this recipe today. How many mls of oil is half a cup please?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 17, 2022 at 10:52 am

        Hi Linda, it’s 120ml.

        Reply
    4. Ckay says

      August 26, 2022 at 11:45 pm

      Hello, if I cut the recipe in half and make cupcakes, would this work? How long is the bake? What would be best, to line and use a cupcake paper holder or just grease the tin? I think my tin is a muffin tin and makes 12? They aren’t particularly deep/ big for muffins though! Thank you.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 27, 2022 at 11:06 am

        I would use cupcake liners. Baking time would be in the region of 20 minutes.

        Reply
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