Victoria sponge cupcakes
Victoria sponge cupcakes are everything we love about the classic Victoria sponge but in miniature form. A simple sponge, strawberry jam and buttercream – there’s nothing not to like about this easy recipe.
Victoria sponge cupcakes are the perfect bake if you love a classic Victoria sponge but want something a little smaller and easier to share. With a classic simple vanilla sponge cupcake, filled with strawberry jam and topped with buttercream, they’re super simple to make, and a great bake for kids to get involved in.
Rather than removing the cupcakes from their cases to cut them in half and add the jam and buttercream like a mini Victoria sponge, we’ve kept our cupcakes in their cases and added jam into the centre and the icing on top. But if you want to serve them out of their cases, you can easily amend the final steps of recipe.
How can kids help to make Victoria sponge cupcakes?
I love making cupcakes with my kids. I find them one of the easiest things to do and making a few amends from a basic cupcake recipe doesn’t have to make it more difficult but can make the end result more interesting and delicious.
The basic cupcake in this recipe is a great one for kids, as everything just gets mixed together in one bowl, so there’s less mess and less washing up to do than other recipes! There are also a lot of simple steps kids can get involved whether, whether they help with the whole recipe or just bit of it.
As with most bakes, children can get involved in measuring out all the ingredients and mixing them together. This recipe has 3 eggs so there’s also a great chance to practice their egg cracking skills – an important skill for any young baker.
Your kids can also help fill up the cupcake cases with batter. You might find it easier and less messy if you use an ice-cream scoop or soup spoon to do it.
Finally, your kids might enjoy helping to make the secret jam centre and helping to decorate the cupcakes. Younger children might need help with the piping bag if you’re using one, but it’s a fun job to try. If a piping bag is too tricky for your kids, or you don’t have one, you can spread the buttercream icing on with a spoon or blunt knife. And they can certainly help adding the cupcake core back on top.
Do I have to use buttercream?
No, not at all. We’ve topped ours with buttercream, but if you prefer you could add a whipped cream topping. Find the recipe in our Eton Mess cupcakes.
How long do Victoria sponge cupcakes keep?
These cupcakes will keep for a few days in an airtight container. If you want to keep them for longer or make them ahead of time, you can put the undecorated cupcake in the freezer for up to about 3 months. To freeze them, wrap each cupcake in cling film / glad wrap, and pop it in a freezer bag. Make sure you defrost them fully before you decorate them.
What can I use instead of self raising flour?
If you don’t have self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and put in an extra 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder.
What is baking spread/baking margarine?
Baking spread, (things like Stork), is just a non dairy margarine that’s perfect for baking. It makes cupcakes and cakes lighter and fluffier than butter, which means it’s a great, cheaper alternative.
I still like the taste of butter in buttercream icing so I wouldn’t swap the butter for baking spread in that but it’s great for the sponge.
Other cake and cupcake recipes
Why not try some of these other easy cupcake and cake recipes for kids:
Victoria sponge
Chocolate Victoria sponge
Lemon cupcakes
Strawberry cupcakes
Chocolate chip cupcakes
Nutella cupcakes
Funfetti cupcakes
Vanilla cupcakes
Lemon sponge cake
Orange sponge cake
Raspberry sponge cake
Eton mess cupcakes
M&M cupcakes
Tottenham cake
Lemon drizzle cupcakes
Victoria sponge traybake
Blackberry cupcakes
Apple cupcakes
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these Victoria sponge cupcakes
Digital scales
Mixing bowl
Wooden spoons
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Muffin tin
Cupcake cases
Wire rack
Piping bag
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Ingredients
For the cupcakes
150g (2/3 cup) butter or baking margarine
150g (¾ cup) caster sugar
150g (1 ¾ cups) self raising flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 eggs
For the filling
12 teaspoons strawberry jam
For the buttercream icing
150g (2/3 cup) butter, softened
300g (2 cups) icing / confectioners sugar
25ml milk
A few drops of vanilla extract
* If you don’t have any self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add an extra teaspoon of baking powder.
How to make Victoria sponge cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 350F and get your kids to line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Measure all the cupcake ingredients out
Measure all the cupcake ingredients out and add them to a free-standing mixer or a large mixing bowl.
You can choose any order to add the ingredients as it all just gets mixed together in one bowl. We tend to follow the order they are listed in the ingredients however so that we don’t miss anything out.
Start by getting your kids to add the butter, or margarine if you’re using it, sugar and flour to your mixing bowl.
If you’re using butter it needs to be soft enough to be able to mix. If you haven’t taken yours out the fridge far enough in advance, you can cut it into a few pieces and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it. Don’t do it long enough for it to melt. If you’re using baking margarine/Stork, you can just add it straight in.
Using a half teaspoon measure out the baking powder and add it to your bowl. Make sure your kids level the teaspoon with their finger before it goes in so that they add just the right amount.
Add the vanilla extract. If your kids are old enough to hold the teaspoon level and steady they should be able to do this themselves. Young children might need your help to hold the teaspoon steady.
Finally, get your kids to crack the eggs into a small bowl and then add them to your mixing bowl. We tend not to crack eggs straight into the mixing bowl just in case any shell goes in. If it does, we fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a teaspoon as we find it sticks to that much better than it does our finger and it saves getting messy hands. We also it a good idea to have a spare bowl or food bin nearby to put the egg shells in as it saves a lot of mess.
Mix the cupcake batter together
Using the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or even wooden spoons, beat everything together until the batter is nice and smooth. Mix it together for a minute or so until there are no visible lumps of flour or butter showing. Be sure not to over mix it.
If you need to, get your kids to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure no unmixed ingredients are left at the bottom of your bowl.
Bake the Victoria sponge cupcakes
Get your kids to use an ice cream scoop or soup/dessert spoon to divide the cupcake batter among the cupcake cases. Try to make sure they add roughly the same amount to each case so they bake evenly, or once you’ve added a spoon to each case, even it up with whatever remains in your mixing bowl. Each case should be about ¾ full.
Bake the cupcakes for 20 – 25 minutes. They’re ready when they have risen and turned a nice golden brown colour. You can check they are baked by pressing down gently on the top. If they are ready they should spring back up. Alternatively, you can insert a skewer, cocktail stick or sharp knife into the middle of the cupcake. If they’re baked it should come out clean. If it’s not, pop the cupcakes back in the oven for a few more minutes.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave them to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before removing them and putting them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Fill the cupcakes
Once the cupcakes have cooled, core the centre of the cupcake. We used the end of a large piping nozzle, but you could use a knife to cut into the middle. Keep the bit you’ve cut out for later.
Using a teaspoon, get your kids to fill the centre of each cupcake with strawberry jam.
Make the icing
Get your kids to measure the, icing/confectioners sugar, butter and milk out and add them to your free-standing mixer or a large mixing bowl. Again, if your butter isn’t soft chop it up and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to make it easier to mix.
Cover your bowl or mixer with the lid, or a clean tea towel to save a bit of mess (icing sugar has a tendency to go everywhere!) Use the k-paddle of your mixer or hand held mixers and start mixing the icing.
Start on a slow setting and once the icing sugar has mixed in, you can turn the speed up and keep beating it for at least 5 minutes. The longer you beat it the softer and more delicious it will become.
Add the buttercream icing to a piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle. If you have a bag clip, add it at the top to stop icing coming out the top end.
Decorate the Victoria sponge cupcakes
Help your kids to swirl the icing on top of the cupcakes, covering over the jam centre. Older children might manage this themselves but younger children might need a little help to squeeze and guide the bag.
We find the easiest way to pipe the icing is to hold the piping bag at the top with our right hand to squeeze the icing out and use our left hand to guide the bag round. Start at the outside and go round in circles until you get to the middle. If you have icing leftover once you’ve iced all the cupcakes, add another swirl on top.
Finally, add the cupcake centre on top and dust with a little icing sugar.
Serve and enjoy!
Victoria sponge cupcakes
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoons
- Measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- Muffin tin
- Cupcake cases
- Wire rack
- Piping bag
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 150 g 2/3 cup butter or baking margarine softened
- 150 g ¾ cup caster sugar
- 150 g 1 ¾ cups self raising flour
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
For the filling
- 12 teaspoons strawberry jam
For the buttercream icing
- 150 g 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 300 g 2 cups icing / confectioners sugar
- 25 ml milk
- A few drops of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 350F and line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Measure all the cupcake ingredients out
- Measure all the cupcake ingredients out and add them to a free-standing mixer or a large mixing bowl.
Mix the cupcake batter together
- Using the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or even wooden spoons, beat everything together until the batter is nice and smooth. Mix it together for a minute or so until there are no visible lumps of flour or butter showing. Be sure not to over mix it.
Bake the Victoria sponge cupcakes
- Divide the cupcake batter among the cupcake cases. Try to make sure you add roughly the same amount to each case so they bake evenly.
- Bake the cupcakes for 20 – 25 minutes. They're ready when they have risen and turned a nice golden brown colour. You can check they are baked by inserting a skewer, cocktail stick or sharp knife into the middle of the cupcake. If they're baked it should come out clean. If it's not, pop the cupcakes back in the oven for a few more minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave them to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before removing them and putting them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Fill the cupcakes
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, core the centre of the cupcake. We used the end of a large piping nozzle, but you could use a knife to cut into the middle. Keep the bit you've cut out for later.
- Using a teaspoon, get your kids to fill the centre of each cupcake with strawberry jam.
Make the icing
- Measure the, icing/confectioners sugar, butter and milk out and add them to your free-standing mixer or a large mixing bowl.
- Cover your bowl or mixer with the lid, or a clean tea towel to save a bit of mess. Use the k-paddle of your mixer or hand held mixers and start mixing the icing.Start on a slow setting and once the icing sugar has mixed in, you can turn the speed up and keep beating it for at least 5 minutes. The longer you beat it the softer and more delicious it will become.
- Add the buttercream icing to a piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle.
Decorate the Victoria sponge cupcakes
- Swirl the icing on top of the cupcakes, covering over the jam centre.We find the easiest way to pipe the icing is to hold the piping bag at the top with our right hand to squeeze the icing out and use our left hand to guide the bag round. Start at the outside and go round in circles until you get to the middle. If you have icing leftover once you've iced all the cupcakes, add another swirl on top
- Finally, add the cupcake centre on top and dust with a little icing sugar.
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