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lemon victoria sponge on a cake stand

Lemon Victoria Sponge

A zesty lemon Victoria sponge, with a thick, natural lemon curd and lemon whipped double cream filling.
4.65 from 17 votes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: English
Keyword: lemon cake, lemon curd, sandwich cake, victoria sponge
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Calories:
Alter quantities (metric only) 12 slices

Here's what you'll need...

Ingredients you'll need...

Lemon Victoria Sponge Cakes

  • 225 g caster (superfine) sugar (US = 1 cup)
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • 225 g unsalted butter softened (plus extra for greasing your tins) (US = 1 cup)
  • 225 g self raising flour (US = 1½ cups)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch salt
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 3 teaspoon lemon juice

Lemon Victoria Sponge Filling

  • 2 tablespoon caster sugar
  • tablespoon lemon juice
  • 180 g lemon curd (US = ¾ cup)
  • 250 ml double cream (heavy/whipping cream) (US = 1 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar or caster sugar

Here's what we do...

Victoria Sponge Cakes

  • Heat your oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/355°F/Gas mark 4.
  • Cut out circles of greaseproof paper to fit the base of your sandwich tins. Grease the tins with softened butter and place the greaseproof paper circle onto the bases.
  • Rub your lemon zest into your caster sugar, to release the lemon flavours and oils.
  • Beat your softened butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. This will take up to a minute if your butter is very soft.
  • Sift together your flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
  • Add 1 whole egg at a time to your butter and sugar mixture, beating in on a low setting each time. When you add your last egg also add a heaped desert spoonful of your flour mixture and give everything a fast beating on medium-high setting until the batter looks creamy again and the egg is fully incorporated.
  • Scrape your bowl down with your spatula to ensure all the mixture is pulled in from the sides and base.
  • Add the rest of your flour mixture and beat in gently on a low setting until mostly combined.
  • Add your lemon juice and mix on low until combined.
  • Turn the speed up to medium-high and give the Victoria sponge batter a short, fast beating so that the whole lot is totally beaten together and smooth. This may only take about 10 seconds.
  • Divide between your two sandwich tins. If you want to be sure they are totally equal then weigh your tins and then weigh in equal amounts of batter into each tin.
  • Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  • Leave your cakes to cool in their tins for 10 minutes, then remove from the tins onto a cooling rack.

Victoria Sponge Lemon Syrup

  • Add your lemon juice and caster sugar to your small saucepan and heat on a low setting until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Set aside 1 tablespoon of the syrup to cool.
  • Using a pastry brush, brush over the remaining syrup onto the underside of the cakes equally (ie not the crust sides).
  • Leave your sandwich cakes to cool completely.

Victoria Sponge Filling

  • Decide which will be your base sandwich tier and then spread your lemon curd evenly over.
  • Beat your double cream and icing sugar until it is creamy, but not overbeaten and grainy. In my KitchenAid I beat on setting 2 for 30 seconds, setting 4 for 30 seconds, setting 6 for 30 seconds and setting 8 for 40-50 seconds. But that is only a guide.
  • Adding a few drops at a time, fold in your tablespoon of saved lemon syrup.
  • Pipe the cream onto the lemon curd layer of your Victoria sandwich cake, or just spread it over. When you pipe use a 3R nozzle and start by piping blobs around the edge of the cake and then just fill in the centre.
  • Place your other sandwich tier on top.
  • Sprinkle some caster sugar onto the top or sift over some icing sugar.
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Supporting Notes

This cake has a fresh cream filling so it needs to stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. It will keep for 1-2 days

Make Your own Notes on this Recipe here...