One of the things I have missed the most since I went gluten-free and sugar-free is Victoria Sponge cake. I’m talking the lightness of the vanilla sponge, the deliciousness of the jam and the lashings of cream…

But sugar turns me into a grumpy witch, and wheat makes me balloon at least two dress sizes, so saying no to the delicacies in the cake shops and kids’ parties is fairly easy, as soon as I consider the consequences.

My ‘bubba’ turned 10 recently and I ended up baking 3 cakes in one week – one for school, one for home and one for his party. All of them were sugar-free and gluten-free, and with this much experimenting going on in my kitchen, I decided it was time to try out the Victoria sponge cake. I chose to make it as the ‘home cake’, in case it was a disaster (then I could feed it to the dog and cats!) and because it’s secretly my favourite.

And I was over the moon when, not only did the recipe idea work, but my kids voted it the “best cake ever”.

So I’m sharing it with you in the hope it might inspire you to try it out – and hopefully fall in love with it.[image_with_animation image_url=”18683″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In”]

Ingredients for Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Victoria Sponge Cake

Makes enough for 10 ‘polite’ people 🙂
P.S. I apologise that it’s not vegan and dairy-free, too. I guess I had to draw the line somewhere for my experimenting. And, of course, this much butter, honey and cream means this is an occasional treat, rather than a daily splurge. But then I know I don’t really need to tell you that, do I? 😉 xx Clare

• 8 oz butter (yes, butter, not margarine – unless you know of a healthy margarine) – at room temperature – i.e. softened but not liquid
• 6 oz runny honey
• 8 oz gluten-free flour – you can either use a sugar-free blend (DO check the ingredients!) or I used a mix of buckwheat, rice & quinoa flour plus 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum – or you can use Doves Farm Gluten-Free flour plus 1 level teaspoon baking powder.
• 5 medium eggs – separated into separate bowls for the yolk from white
• 1 level teaspoon baking powder (check it’s gluten-free)
• seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod – or equivalent of vanilla essence (again look out for sugar on the ingredients)
• 5-6 tablespoons sugar-free jam – I used Meridian organic blackcurrant spread
• 250 ml double cream for whipping (we’re blessed to have raw cream from our local farm shop!)

Instructions For #BestCakeEver Victoria Sponge

[fancy-ul icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”fa-heart” color=”Accent-Color”]

• Line the base two 8 inch sandwich cake tins (i.e. round and about 1 inch high) with greaseproof paper & pre-heat your oven to 180C or equivalent

[divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”11″]

• Whisk the egg whites until forming soft peaks – not as much as meringues but still white and fluffy.

[divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”11″]

• If you need to de-seed the vanilla pod, make a light score along the length of the pod, so you are only opening one side, then use a teaspoon to scrape along the open inside of the pod. You’ll get a good collection of seeds. There’s no need to throw away the pod – keep it safe to make a vanilla pudding or other recipe another time.

[divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”11″]

• Beat the butter, honey, xanthan gum, baking powder and vanilla together until they go a lighter colour and look fluffy. I use my Grannie’s geriatric electric whisk and it takes about 1 minute. By hand it’s more of a labour of love. This stage is important, because it really helps with the lightness. I add the vanilla, xanthan gum and baking powder at this stage so that I know they’re well-blended.
  You might want to test for sweetness at this stage, especially if your family has a sweet-sugar-tooth. If it’s not sweet enough, you can add a little more honey or a level teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

[divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”11″]

[/fancy-ul][image_with_animation image_url=”18684″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In”][fancy-ul icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”fa-heart” color=”Accent-Color”]

• Add the egg yolks and half the flour and beat well until combined.

[divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”11″]

• Gently beat in the rest of the flour with half of the egg white, until well mixed.

[divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”11″]

• Stir in the remaining whisked egg white – this really helps to make the final sponge fluffier.

[divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”11″]

• Divide the mixture equally between two cake tins and gently smooth / flatten the top. It may be runnier than you are used to, but it should still be a thick cake mixture.

[divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”11″]

• Bake in the pre-heated oven until well-risen, golden brown on top and gently separating from the edges of the tin. Use a sharp knife to test the middle of the cake – it will come out clean if it is cooked. Depending on your oven, this will take between 25 and 35 minutes.

[divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”11″]

• Take the cakes out of the oven and leave them to cool completely in their tins.

[divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”11″]

• To assemble the final cake, remove the halves from the tins and take off the greaseproof paper. Place one half on a plate and cover the top with the jam. Whip the cream and spoon roughly on top of this. Then use the final half of the cake to squidge it all together. Serve immediately with a slightly smug smile and watch it disappear.

[/fancy-ul]

So how did you get on? Did your family enjoy this delicious gluten-free, sugar-free Victoria sponge recipe? If you want to make it, will it be for a special occasion? Or ‘just because’?

Did you tweak it? Are you a habitual-recipe-experimenter? Or do you follow them to the letter?

I’d love to hear from you via the comments!

And as those of you who already hang around here know, I normally write about how to reconnect with your heart and soul, whilst living in a head-based world, but food it still a hugely important part of that, so I include regular Soul-food recipes as part of my other articles and videos. If you’d like to stay in touch and catch the latest inspiration for Soul-Sized Living, then please make sure you’re getting my free updates.

Until next time, with love, Namaste,