Strawberry and Cream Sponge Cake

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/18/23
Tested by Joan Velush
Strawberry and cream sponge cake recipe

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 1 cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
688 Calories
42g Fat
71g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 688
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 42g 54%
Saturated Fat 21g 104%
Cholesterol 173mg 58%
Sodium 331mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 71g 26%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 41g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 22mg 112%
Calcium 144mg 11%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 174mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Cake baking is an institution of British and Irish food. Nothing celebrates this tradition better than a sponge cake. One filled to the brim with summer strawberries and freshly whipped cream is summer on a plate and particularly popular around Wimbledon.

This strawberry and cream sponge cake is essentially a Victoria sponge cake but rather than a filling of jam, fresh fruits are used. It's utterly delicious and making a Victoria sponge cake is not as daunting as most people think. Simply follow a few simple sponge cake making tips outlined below and watch your cake rise as light as a feather.

“Strawberry and Cream Sponge Cake is a delicious version of a classic Victoria sponge cake. But even better than Victoria sponge, this recipe calls for fresh strawberries as a topping rather than the standard jam. The result is a light, not-too-sweet cake topped with homemade whipped cream and fresh, sliced strawberries. What could be better?” —Joan Velush

Strawberry and Cream Sponge Cake/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, more for greasing the pans

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

  • 8 ounces granulated sugar

  • 8 ounces all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 3 ounces margarine, room temperature

  • 8 ounces fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and thickly sliced

  • 7 ounces whipping cream, whipped to firm peaks

  • 1/2 cup unsifted confectioners' sugar, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F.

    Ingredients strawberry and cream sponge cake recipe
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  2. Lightly grease two 8-inch (20-centimeter) round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.

    Butter pan
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  3. Using a stand mixer, or electric hand mixer, mix the eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and the softened butter and margarine until completely combined. The mixture should be a soft consistency. If you don't have an electric mixer you can use a wooden spoon.

    Butter cream
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  4. Divide the cake batter evenly between the two cake pans—you may weigh them to make sure they are the same, but this is not essential. Lightly smooth the surface of the cake.

    Cake batter in cake tins
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  5. Pop them in the oven and bake until the cakes are well-risen and golden brown on the surface, about 25 minutes. If the cakes are browning too quickly, lower the temperature just slightly but do not be tempted to open the door.

  6. Once they are risen and brown, you can open the door to check, gently press the center of the cake; it should spring back quickly. Remove the cakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, the cakes should be shrinking away from the sides of the cake tins.

    Bake cake
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  7. Carefully remove the cakes from the tins and leave to cool completely on the cooling rack.

    Let cool
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga  

  8. Once cooled, place one cake top side down onto a plate. Cover with half of the sliced strawberries, followed by a thick layer of whipped cream.

    Whipped cream on cake
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  9. Top with the second cake, and finish with remaining strawberries and whipped cream. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar, if desired.

    Strawberries on cake
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

Tip

  • Do not use frozen fruits; they will not support the cake and will make it soggy.
  • This cake deserves freshly whipped cream, so skip the whipped topping. For best results, make it while the cake bakes or cools. It can be held for 24 hours, though you'll want to use stabilized whipped cream when making it any further in advance than that.
  • To dredge the cake, place the powdered sugar (also called confectioners' or icing sugar) in a fine sieve and shake it over the cake.

Recipe Variations

  • You can change the filling of the sponge cake to make the most of any seasonal soft fruits, such as fresh raspberries.
  • If you don't have fresh fruits, use a good thick layer of fruit jam.

What's the Difference Between Victoria Sponge and Sponge Cake?

Both types of cake are designed to be light, fluffy, and moist, though the recipes typically take a different approach. For a sponge cake, air is whipped into the eggs; the foamier they are, the more rise you'll get in the final cake. Named after Queen Victoria, Victoria sponge recipes don't require that step and rely instead on baking powder (sometimes baking soda). This significantly cuts down on the amount of prep time involved.

What's the Secret to the Baking the Best Sponge Cake?

A few factors play a significant role in creating the best sponge cake possible. The majority of those have to do with proper preparation. Timing is of the essence because as soon as baking powder is mixed with wet ingredients, it begins the chemical reaction that causes the cake to rise. Preheat the oven, prepare your pans and oven racks and gather everything you need before starting. Another secret is to ensure your eggs and butter are at room temperature. To avoid overmixing, the butter should be very soft but not so much that it loses shape. When everything comes together just right, you'll have a moist, fluffy sponge that's lighter than the average yellow cake.