The Victoria Sponge is a tea-time favorite, and this chocolate version is delicious enough to be served at any occasion. We love this cake with strawberry rhubarb jam, but you can use any jam that goes well with whipped cream and chocolate.
We talk you through making this Chocolate Victoria Sponge in Episode 238 of our podcast. If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like our recipes for Strawberry Jam Chocolate Chip Bars and our original Victoria Sponge with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour or gluten free flour – we used King Arthur GF 1-1
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup dark cocoa – such as Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
2 cups of granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup of whole milk or thick and creamy plant based milk
2 cups of heavy whipping cream, dairy free whipping cream, or store bought regular or dairy free whipped topping
¼ -½ cup powdered sugar, depending on how sweet you like your whipped cream
1 6-8 oz jar strawberry rhubarb jam, strawberry jam, or jam of choice.
Optional: strawberries or other berries/fruit and edible flowers and leaves for decoration.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray or grease 2 eight inch cake pans. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, add all dry ingredients (except sugar) and whisk or mix until well blended.
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer to mix on medium speed until smooth – about 2 minutes – stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
Add flour mixture and milk to the egg mixture and beat again until thoroughly blended. Pour batter evenly into pans and place in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Set the cake layers aside to cool completely.
When you’re ready to assemble the cake, start by whipping the cream. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream until it holds soft peaks. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and beat until the cream holds stiff peaks.
Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread a generous layer of the jam over top of the cake. Spread ½ of the whipped cream over top of the jam. Cover with the second cake layer and spread the remaining whipped cream layer over top. Decorate with strawberries, edible flowers, or whatever else you fancy. Serve immediately with tea or coffee and enjoy!