• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Domestic Gothess logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
    • Biscuits/Cookies
    • Bread, Buns and Yeasted Bakes
    • Cakes
    • Cupcakes
    • Ice Cream and Sorbet
    • Jams, Chutneys and Preserves
    • Brownies & Bars
    • Desserts and Patisserie
    • Savoury
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks
    • Confectionary
  • Contact
  • Work With Me
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
You are here: Home / Recipes / Cakes / Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake

Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake

July 23, 2019 by hannahhossack 13 Comments

Jump to Recipe -

Vegan Victoria sponge cake – this delicious egg free and dairy free vanilla Victoria sandwich cake with jam and vanilla buttercream is light, soft, easy to make and perfect for Afternoon Tea!

Vegan Victoria sponge cake filled with jam and buttercream on a glass cake stand on a grey background with cherries and redcurrants.

I’m on a bit of a mission to perfect vegan versions of all of the classic bakes. For the most part, the majority of recipes are not too hard to veganise well; though if anyone has a recipe for vegan choux pastry that actually works do let me know!

Victoria sponge cake has to be the ultimate classic cake recipe, and fortunately it works very well as a vegan version. The cake is light, soft and moist, with just the right amount of fluffy vanilla buttercream and strawberry jam.

This is a perfect cake for all occasions, whether you make it as a birthday cake, or just for a simple afternoon tea. It is the kind of cake that is good for both children and adults so it is bound to be a crowd-pleaser.

A slice of vegan Victoria sponge cake on a grey patterned plate with a fork sticking in it.

What Is Victoria Sponge Cake?:

Victoria sponge cake, also known as Victoria sandwich, is the quintessential British cake. It is named after queen Victoria, who reportedly liked a slice with her afternoon tea.

It is comprised of two layers of buttery vanilla cake filled with jam and cream or buttercream. It is often baked as a birthday cake, for afternoon tea, or just because it’s Tuesday.

A slice of cake on a grey patterned plate with a cake fork and redcurrants on a grey background.

The Best Ingredients:

Butter: It is very important that you use a vegan block butter/margarine for both the cake and the buttercream – the kind that comes in a foil wrapped block, NOT the spreadable kind in a tub which has too high a water content for baking.

As this is a fairly simple cake, a lot of the flavour comes from the butter, so it is best to also use one that tastes good. I absolutely love Naturli Vegan Block and almost always use it for baking.

It is currently unfortunately only available in Sainsbury’s but if you are able to get hold of it that is 100% the brand I would recommend (not sponsored, I just think it’s great).

Otherwise, Stork block or Vitalite block both work well; and in the US Earth Balance buttery sticks would be the right kind of product to use.

Yogurt: Non-dairy yogurt replaces the eggs and helps to keep the cake soft and moist. I use Alpro vanilla soy but a plain variety will also work, as will coconut yogurt; though I would stick to a thinner type rather than a really thick, set style of yogurt.

Jam: Victoria sponge cake is traditionally filled with jam (purists would say it should contain ONLY jam, no buttercream, and no vanilla extract either!); either strawberry or raspberry is best (and traditional), but you can use any variety you prefer.

 

Close up of the side of vegan victoria sponge cake filled with jam and blobs of buttercream on a glass cake stand.

How To Make Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*

Start by greasing two 19-20cm/7.5-8inch round cake tins and lining the bases with baking parchment. My tins are 19 cm so if you use 20cm ones the cakes will be very slightly thinner than pictured.

Cream together the softened vegan butter and sugar with an electric mixer for a good few minutes until very light and fluffy. You want to try and get lots of air incorporated for a fluffy cake.

Add the yogurt, milk, vanilla, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and gently mix everything together until it forms a smooth batter. Take care not to over-beat it as that can make the cake tough and you don’t want to knock out too much of the air you’ve just beaten in.

step 1 - making the batter.

Divide the batter between the tins and bake for about 25-35 minutes until the cakes are springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

step 2 - baking the cakes

Once the cakes have cooled, make the buttercream. Place the softened vegan butter, sifted icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk with an electric mixer for at least a couple of minutes until smooth and fluffy.

If the buttercream is too stiff you can whisk in a little bit of milk until it forms the right consistency, no more than a teaspoon at a time.

step 3 - making the buttercream

Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate and spread over a generous quantity of jam.

Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle and pipe blobs of the buttercream on top of the jam. (Alternatively, you can spread the buttercream over the bottom cake layer with a palette knife first, then spoon the jam on top).

Place the second cake layer on top. Sprinkle with a little caster sugar or dust with icing sugar and serve.

A slice of cake on a grey patterned plate with redcurrants and the whole cake in the background.

Top Tips:

  • Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature before you start – if the yogurt and milk are too cold it can cause the butter to harden and the batter to curdle.
  • Strawberry jam is the most traditional, but you can use any kind you like. It would also be great filled with lemon curd.
  • I like to sprinkle the top with caster sugar, but you could dust it with sifted icing sugar instead.
  • If you don’t have self-raising flour, you can swap it for regular plain flour and add an extra 3 1/2 tsp baking powder instead.
  • This vegan Victoria sponge cake is lovely served with fresh fruit, especially strawberries or red berries.
  • It will keep for up to four days in an airtight container.
  • Best enjoyed with a cup of tea.

 

A slice of vegan Victoria sandwich on a grey patterned plate with a forkful removed.

More Classic Vegan Cakes:

  • Vegan chocolate fudge cake
  • Vegan lemon drizzle cake
  • Vegan carrot cake loaf
  • Vegan courgette (zucchini) cake
  • Vegan coconut layer cake
  • Easy vegan ginger cake
  • Vegan biscoff banana bread
  • Easy vegan chocolate cake
  • Vegan Christmas cake
  • Vegan apple bundt cake

If you tried this recipe why not tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

*All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.*

Vegan Victoria sponge cake filled with jam and buttercream on a glass cake stand on a grey background with cherries and redcurrants.
Print
5 from 6 votes

Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake

Vegan Victoria sponge cake - this delicious egg free and dairy free vanilla Victoria sandwich cake with jam and vanilla buttercream is light, soft, easy to make and perfect for Afternoon Tea!
Course Dessert
Cuisine British, vegan
Keyword cake
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 10 people
Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 175 g (2/3 cup + 1 Tbsp) vegan block butter (NOT the spreadable kind. I use Naturli Vegan Block) softened
  • 265 g (1 1/3 cups) caster (superfine) sugar
  • 175 g (2/3 cup + 1 Tbsp) non-dairy yogurt (I used vanilla soy)
  • 175 ml (2/3 cup + 1 Tbsp) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
  • 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 350 g (3 cups minus 2 Tbsp) self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

Buttercream:

  • 125 g (1/2 cup) vegan block butter (NOT the spreadable kind. I use Naturli Vegan Block) softened
  • 220 g (2 cups) icing (powdered) sugar sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • strawberry or raspberry jam
  • caster sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease two 19-20cm/7.5-8inch round cake tins and line with baking parchment.
  • Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for a good few minutes until very light and fluffy.
  • Add the yogurt, milk, vanilla, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and gently mix everything together until it forms a smooth batter. Take care not to over-beat it as that can make the cake tough.
  • Divide the batter between the tins and bake for about 25-35 minutes until springy and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  • Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
  • Once the cakes have cooled, make the buttercream. Place the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes until smooth and fluffy.
  • Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate and spread over a generous quantity of jam.
  • Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle and pipe blobs of the buttercream on top of the jam. (Alternatively, spread the buttercream over the bottom cake layer with a palette knife first, then spoon the jam on top).
  • Place the second cake layer on top. Sprinkle with a little caster sugar and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days.

Notes

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them

Recipe adapted from Vegan Life.

Vegan victoria sponge cake on a glass cake stand with fruit and crockery in the background.

Filed Under: Baking, Cakes, Recipes, vegan Tagged With: vegan cake

Never Miss A Post!

Subscribe to get all the latest recipes delivered to your inbox.

Previous Post: « Vegan Chunky Monkey Ice Cream (Banana Ice Cream With Chocolate & Walnuts)
Next Post: Blueberry Frangipane Tarts (Vegan) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Steph

    January 6, 2020 at 2:17 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this recipe. My daughter has an egg and dairy allergy and I used this recipe for her birthday cake and it came out beautifully.

    Reply
  2. Stephanie

    February 2, 2020 at 4:23 am

    5 stars
    I don’t usually take the time to go back and leave comments, but this is our favorite cake. Everyone in our family loves it! I first made it as a birthday cake for myself last summer, and we’ve made it at least two or three times since then. Seriously cannot get enough! I usually use a homemade blackberry jam, but we also love it with raspberry jam. It is so simple to make and so elegant if you do it correctly. The first time I made it, it was very hot in our kitchen and the whole thing just melted all over the place, but the next time I was able to do the piping and it turned out lovely!

    Reply
  3. Clair

    June 26, 2020 at 7:53 am

    5 stars
    My partner is vegan although I’m not despite eating a lot of vegan products. I love baking but everything I make is non vegan. As a treat I decided to make him this vegan cake. I tried a vegan sponge a few years ago and it was heavy and dry, needless to say, I was expecting this to be the same, and believed that you needed eggs and butter to make the perfect sponge.
    Well, how wrong was I! This recipe is fantastic, as good as the sponges I have made before, so moist and light. This has completely changed my opinion and has inspired me to bake more vegan cakes.
    We made your vegan lemon curd last night, so simple and tastes amazing. I shall be using that in a cake later today!

    Reply
  4. Payton Creamer

    August 29, 2020 at 11:11 pm

    5 stars
    I have now made this cake for my own birthday, for a trip to my cousins, for fun, and for my boyfriends birthday, needless to say it is my favorite cake recipe to now make! It’s always a massive hit because it just tastes SOO GOOD! I never seem to be able to make it as pretty as the picture loooks though LOL but maybe one day! but i guess all that matters is that it tastes GREAT <3

    Reply
  5. Natasha Reed

    November 17, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    5 stars
    This is now a family favourite. Any excuse for a cake and this is the one we make. It’s my sons 13th birthday today and he requested this for his birthday cake. It’s a joy to make and super easy ( and I’m no baker). Please never remove the recipe from your website!

    Thanks

    Natasha x

    Reply
  6. Leslie Smith

    November 22, 2020 at 8:38 pm

    My 22 year old vegan daughter made this and it’s got a great density and vanilla taste. It’s so beautiful; a real treat to eat.! I’m making it for her birthday. Your cakes look so delicious . I’m trying the apple bundt cake next.

    Reply
  7. Max

    January 18, 2021 at 4:49 pm

    Made this gorgeous and simple recipe for my 30th last month. Celebrated solo, but in style with it! Love your work and recipes (and *also* waiting anxiously for the day vegan choux pastry comes out well). I pass through BHX here and there professionally (viola player, when COVID isn’t a barrier)…have scoped out the pastry scene there, but nothing I saw or tried was as compelling as your product x

    Reply
  8. Arsine

    February 5, 2021 at 5:29 pm

    Hi, looks delicious. Can I make this with all purpose flour instead of self raising? How much baking powder and/or baking soda do I have to add? Thank you

    Reply
    • hannahhossack

      February 7, 2021 at 9:39 am

      Hi Arsine, I haven’t tried making it with plain flour so I’m not sure how the results would differ. I would try adding an extra 3 tsp baking powder, so a total of 4 (level) tsp baking powder and 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda.

      Reply
  9. Stephanos

    February 15, 2021 at 6:18 pm

    5 stars
    Made it for Valentine’s Day and it turned out amazing! Just a little too sweet so I will adjust recipe next time and use less sugar.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Classic Victoria Sponge Cake - Domestic Gothess says:
    September 13, 2019 at 9:19 pm

    […] also have a delicious (and easy!) recipe for vegan Victoria sponge cake; give it a try if you are avoiding eggs and […]

    Reply
  2. Ultimate Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake - Domestic Gothess says:
    September 23, 2019 at 12:39 pm

    […] Vegan Victoria sponge cake […]

    Reply
  3. Vegan Coffee And Walnut Cake - Domestic Gothess says:
    October 15, 2019 at 5:10 pm

    […] Vegan Victoria sponge cake […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Popular Posts

Curried vegetable pasties – vegan pasties filled with curried vegetables and chickpeas, perfect for picnicking! #vegan #baking #pastry
Vegan fruit and nut flapjacks - easy vegan oaty flapjacks (oat cookie bars) filled with dried fruits, nuts and seeds. Perfect for snacking, lunchboxes and hiking!
Vegan chocolate fudge cake - an easy to make, moist, fudgy vegan chocolate cake topped with coconut milk ganache. No one will be able to guess that it's vegan!
Vegetable tagine wit almond and chickpea couscous - an easy, healthy vegetarian/vegan meal with tonnes of flavour!
Easy vegan lemon curd recipe - egg and dairy free lemon curd that is sweet, creamy, intensely lemony, totally addictive and ready in under ten minutes!
Easy mushroom linguine - ready in fifteen minutes this vegetarian mushroom linguine is quick, easy, healthy and delicious.

Footer

Follow Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright Notice © Hannah Hossack-Lodge and domesticgothess.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of text and/or photos from this blog without express and written permission from this blog’s author and owner is strictly prohibited.
Disclosure & Privacy

Subscribe To Our Mailing List

Subscribe to get all the latest recipes delivered to your inbox.

Copyright © 2021 Domestic Gothess on the Foodie Pro Theme