Cherry Victoria Sandwich Cake

Serves 10

My love for British baking runs deep. A culture that serves cake mid-day with a cup of tea? Count me in. A classic Victoria Sandwich is a teatime layer cake made with jam and whipped cream. I had more than my fair share during a study abroad in London and continuously come back to it in my kitchen. The lightness and simplicity makes it a perfect summertime treat. And what’s better in the summer than fresh, juicy cherries? They’re the star in this version, with sweet red cherries baked into the cake and turned into an easy jam. Crème fraîche adds stability and a bit of tang to the whipped cream, perfectly complementing the sweet cherries. For peak enjoyment, serve with a cup of tea (or coffee for my fellow Americans)!

INGREDIENTS

Quick Cherry Jam

  • 1 lb fresh sweet red cherries, pitted & halved (454 g)

  • ½ cup granulated sugar (105 g)

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Sponge Cake

  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp superfine sugar* (220 g)

  • 1 tbsp lemon zest, from about 1 lemon

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (220 g)

  • 4 large eggs, room temperature

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 ¾ cup self-rising flour**, sifted (220 g)

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • 20 fresh sweet red cherries, pitted & halved

Crème Fraîche Whipped Cream

  • ½ cup crème fraîche (120 g)

  • 1 ½ cup heavy cream (360 g)

  • 2 tbsp superfine sugar or powdered sugar (20 g)

  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

  • Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS

Make the Cherry Jam

  1. Zest the lemon before juicing and set aside to use later in the cake.

  2. Combine the cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer (stirring occasionally) until most of the liquid has evaporated and it’s become thick and syrupy (about 15-20 minutes).

  3. Remove from heat. To break up the cherries, use either a potato masher (for a chunkier jam) or blend using an immersion blender/food processor (for a smoother jam).

  4. Once cooled, transfer to a separate container and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made up to 1 week in advance.

Bake the Sponge Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with greased parchment paper.

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add sugar and lemon zest and mix with your hands, massaging in the zest until oils are released and the sugar is fragrant.

  3. Add butter to the bowl and place on stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (5 minutes).

  4. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt.

  5. Add ½ the flour and mix on lowest speed until just incorporated. Repeat with remaining ½ of the flour until just incorporated. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with a spatula to ensure the batter is smooth and evenly combined.

  6. Place the halved cherries, cut side down, on the parchment of each prepared cake pan. Divide the batter between the cake pans (pouring over the cherries) and smooth the tops with an offset spatula.

  7. Bake until cakes are golden and spring back when gently pressed in the center, about 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans on a wire rack.

Make the Whipped Cream & Assemble

  1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat, gradually increasing the speed, until stiff peaks form and the cream holds its shape.

  2. Remove one cooled cake from it’s pan/parchment and place on a serving plate, cherry side up. Spread the jam evenly over the top of the cake.

  3. Cover the jam with a thick layer of whipped cream, spreading evenly to the edges. Reserve a 1 and ½ cup of whipped cream to decorate the top if desired.

  4. Top with the other cake, cherry side up.

  5. (Optional) In a piping bag with a closed star tip, place your remaining whipped cream and decorate the rim. Top with fresh cherries.

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

  • * Superfine Sugar (aka Caster Sugar): You can find this in a store or make your own! It’s widely used in the U.K and is simply granulated sugar processed into smaller crystals. With a finer texture, it dissolves easier into light desserts and cakes. To make your own, add granulated sugar to a food processor or blender and process on high speed until the sugar granules are nice and fine.

  • ** Self-Rising Flour: This is another ingredient you can find in the grocery store that’s used often in British baking. It has baking powder and salt already in it, and has less protein content than All-Purpose Flour. This makes for very light and tender cakes. However, if you already have AP Flour, you can use that instead and add 2 ½ tsp of baking powder to the recipe.

  • If you don’t own a cherry pitter (like me), there are several ways to pit cherries without. I like using a metal straw, by inserting the straw through the bottom of the cherry to push the pit out through the stem side. You can also do this with a chopstick or skewer.

  • If using frozen cherries instead of fresh in the jam, simply allow them to thaw completely (reserving all juices) and follow the same recipe.

  • If utilizing 9 inch-cake pans instead, just note that they’ll bake a little faster and have less height.

  • Cake is best served right away but can be stored covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

  • To be precise and consistent when baking, I recommend using a Digital Food Scale. The one I linked is relatively inexpensive and in my opinion, a great investment for any home kitchen! But if you don’t have one, I’ll always include cup measurements as well.