There's nothing quite like the indulgence of a perfectly baked cake, and when it comes to classics, the Victoria sponge is a true British favourite. The simplicity of Mary Berry's version of this beloved cake has earned it high praise as a "baking classic" from BBC Good Food.

It features a delightful light sponge paired with jam, and for an extra touch of luxury, the recipe recommends adding freshly whipped cream. Daily Express reporter Sophie Harris has been baking Berry's Victoria sponge "for years".

But she recently made a small but significant change to the recipe, elevating it to new heights of deliciousness. Her secret? Incorporating a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar into the fresh cream, which she says really "ties it together".

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"It isn't too sweet but it gives a delicious flavour which the cake definitely needed beforehand," Sophie said. "This cake is absolutely amazing and always goes down a treat, and it is definitely the best sponge I've tried."

To recreate this exquisite cake, you'll need just seven simple ingredients and two 20cm sandwich tins. For the latest restaurant reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here

Victoria sponge
A slice of Victoria sponge is always best paired with a cup of tea

Ingredients

For the sponge:

  • Four free-range eggs
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • two teaspoons of baking powder
  • 225g butter at room temperature.

To serve:

  • Strawberry or raspberry jam
  • Double cream
  • Two tablespoons icing sugar.

Method

  1. Preheating your oven to 180C (or 160C for fan ovens) and prepare your tins by greasing and lining them.
  2. Mix the butter and sugar together until they're wonderfully light and fluffy.
  3. Add in the flour, eggs and baking powder until fully combined and no lumps remain. Whilst you don't want to overmix the batter, make sure all the ingredients are scraped down from the side and fully incorporated.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through, checking from 20 minutes onwards.
  5. Leave the sponges to slightly cool in the tin before turning them out onto a cooling rack and leaving them to cool.
  6. In the meantime, make the whipped cream filling. This is where Sophie's hack comes in. Whip the cream and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form and all of the icing sugar has become incorporated, before adding some jam onto one of the sponges in a thin layer.
  7. Then spread the cream on the sponge before topping it with the other sponge. If you fancy, add the remaining cream onto the top of the cake or dust it with icing sugar.