Creating A Multi-Tiered Victoria Sponge Wedding Cake

A Victoria sponge cake is a traditional British bake that is a perfect choice for a wedding cake. It is light, fluffy, and delicious, and can be made and frozen up to three months in advance. The cake consists of three layers of soft and light cakes, strawberry jam, vanilla buttercream, and fresh strawberries. The cake is then decorated with buttercream and fresh strawberries. The recipe for the cake is simple and includes basic ingredients such as butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder. The cake is baked in three 20cm/8inch cake tins for about 25 minutes until golden and springs back. The buttercream is made by beating butter with an electric mixer until smooth and loose, and then gradually beating in the icing sugar and vanilla extract. The cake is then assembled by spreading or piping the buttercream onto the top of one of the sponges, followed by spooning on half of the jam. The process is repeated for the second sponge, and then the third sponge is placed on top. The cake is then decorated with fresh strawberries and a sprinkle of icing sugar. The cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days or frozen for up to three months.

Baking the sponges

Firstly, preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line your tins. If you are filling your cakes, you can bake in sandwich tins or slice after baking.

To make the sponge cakes, place the butter in a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. Beat together, preferably with an electric whisk until the mixture is wonderfully light and fluffy. This can take up to 5-7 minutes, so this stage should not be rushed.

Beat in the vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, with a spoonful of the flour with each one to prevent the mixture from curdling. Fold in the remaining flour with a metal spoon until you have a soft, smooth cake batter. Split the cake batter between your tins.

Place in the oven and bake the cakes for the following times:

• 6" cake for 25 minutes
• 9" cake for 30 minutes
• 11" cake for 40 minutes
• 15 cm (6 in) Victoria Sandwich for 20 minutes
• 18 cm (7 in) Victoria Sandwich for 25 minutes

When cakes are cooked they should be pale golden in colour, and a cake skewer/sharp knife inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean.

When fully baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. If you want to make the cakes in advance, wrap them in clingfilm and freeze.

Making the filling

Now you have your buttercream, you can start assembling your cake. Spread or pipe the buttercream onto the top of one of the sponges. Add a layer of strawberry jam on top of the buttercream. Repeat this process for the second sponge, and then place the third sponge on top. You can dust the top of the cake with icing sugar and garnish with fresh strawberries if you like.

Assembling the cake

Now for the fun part! Assembling the cake.

Firstly, make sure your cakes are completely cool. If you have made your cakes in advance, remove them from the freezer and allow them to defrost.

If you are using a buttercream filling, make this now. You can use a simple buttercream made from softened butter, icing sugar, and vanilla extract. You can also add a little milk to loosen the mixture.

Place the first cake on a cake board, securing it with a little buttercream. If you want to, you can use a bread knife to level the top of the cake.

Spread a layer of buttercream over the cake, then add a layer of strawberry jam. You can also add fresh strawberries if you like.

Place the next cake on top, and repeat the process.

Add the final cake layer, then dust off any crumbs on or around the cake. You can also brush the whole cake with a thin layer of apricot jam to prevent crumbs getting into the buttercream.

Now, spread the remaining buttercream over the cake, starting with the top, then smooth and paddle it around the sides and down to the board.

If you are using fondant icing, dust your work surface with icing sugar and knead the icing until it is pliable. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a circle large enough to cover the sides and top of the cake, with a little left over.

Use your rolling pin to lift the icing over the cake. Smooth the icing around the cake with your hands, easing it over the edges and down to the board. Trim off the excess with a sharp knife, flush with the bottom of the cake board.

Your cake is now assembled and ready to decorate!

Icing the cake

Step 1: Prepare the Work Surface and Rolling Pin

Lightly dust the work surface and rolling pin with sifted icing sugar. This will help to prevent the marzipan and sugar paste icing from sticking to the surface and make it easier to roll them out smoothly.

Step 2: Roll Out the Marzipan

Roll out the marzipan, turning it 90 degrees after every roll to ensure an even thickness. The ideal thickness for the marzipan layer is approximately the thickness of a £1 coin. This will give you a thin, even layer of marzipan that will adhere smoothly to the cake.

Step 3: Brush the Cake with Apricot Jam

Lightly brush the outside of the sponge cakes with boiled apricot jam. This step will help the marzipan stick to the cake and create a smooth surface for the sugar paste icing.

Step 4: Apply the Marzipan

Using the rolling pin, carefully lift the marzipan and drape it over the cake. Smooth the marzipan into place with your hands, ensuring there are no air pockets. Trim away any excess marzipan from the base of the cake using a small knife.

Step 5: Repeat with the Sugar Paste Icing

Repeat the process with the sugar paste icing, placing it over the marzipan layer. Dust your hands lightly with icing sugar and gently run them over the cake to even out any lumps or bumps.

Step 6: Build the Tiers

To build the tiers, cut a template the same size as the second layer and place it in the position of the second tier. Mark each corner with a needle. Insert a plastic dowel into the cake and mark the point where it comes out of the cake with a pencil. Remove the dowel and trim it about 1-2mm above the mark. Reinsert the dowel into the cake.

Step 7: Secure the Tiers with Royal Icing

Pipe a small amount of royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier. Carefully place the second tier onto the bottom one. Repeat this process for the top tier, if applicable.

Step 8: Pipe a Thin Line Along the Bottom Edge of Each Tier

Mix some icing and pipe a thin line along the bottom edge of each tier. Smooth the icing with your finger while it is still wet to fill any gaps between the cake layers. You can also add a ribbon along the bottom edge to hide any unevenness.

Step 9: Decorate the Cake

Decorate the cake with ribbon, lace, sugar paste flowers, or piped royal icing patterns to match the wedding theme and colours. Fresh flowers or fruit can also be used as decoration, but be sure to add them as close to the event as possible to ensure they look fresh.

Decorating the cake

Once you have your Victoria sponge cake tiers ready, it's time to decorate them!

Filling the cake

Firstly, you will need to fill the cake. You can use a variety of fillings, such as buttercream, jam, fresh fruit, and whipped cream. For a traditional Victoria sponge, you can use buttercream and strawberry jam. If you want to add fresh fruit, such as strawberries, you can place them on top of the jam before adding the next layer of cake.

Icing the cake

You can ice your cake with marzipan and sugar paste icing. To do this, lightly brush the outside of the sponge cakes with boiled apricot jam to help the marzipan stick. Then, roll out the marzipan and use a rolling pin to lift and ease it over the cake. Smooth the marzipan into place with your hands, making sure there are no air pockets. Trim away any excess marzipan from the base of the cake using a small knife. Repeat this process with the sugar paste icing.

Building the tiers

To build the tiers, cut a template the same size as the second layer and place it in the position of the second tier. Mark each corner with a needle. Push a plastic dowel into the cake and mark with a pencil where it comes out of the cake. Lift out the dowels and trim them about 1-2mm above the mark, then stick them back into the cake. Pipe some royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier. Carefully place the second tier onto the bottom one. Mix some icing and pipe a thin line along the bottom edge of each tier. While the icing is still wet, run a finger over the line to smooth it and fill any gap between the two cake layers. Repeat this process for the top tier.

You can decorate your cake with ribbon, lace, sugar paste flowers, or royal icing patterns. You can also add fresh flowers to your cake. To do this, insert a length of floristry wire into each stem, leaving a spike of wire about 3cm long. Push this into a polystyrene dummy cake placed on top of the largest cake. Repeat until the dummy cake is surrounded by a halo of flowers.

Storing the cake

Your Victoria sponge wedding cake is now ready to be served! It is best served on the day it is made but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Frequently asked questions