This month marks the first anniversary of my food blog. What began as a simple creative outlet between school drop-off and pick-up quickly grew into a genuine love for recipe development, food styling, and photography. The past twelve months have been full of learning, experimenting, and sharing food that feels comforting, generous, and achievable at home.
To celebrate the blog’s first birthday, I wanted to bake something timeless: a classic gluten free Victorian sponge cake with jam and cream. It is the kind of cake that never needs to be complicated to feel special. Two soft, airy sponge layers are filled with whipped cream and a generous spoonful of homemade jam, then finished with a light dusting of icing sugar. It is simple, elegant, and perfect for birthdays, afternoon tea, family gatherings, or any moment that calls for a beautiful homemade cake.
A great sponge cake is all about air. The more air you gently build into the batter, the lighter and softer the finished cake will be. This is especially important in a gluten free sponge cake recipe, where the texture depends on careful mixing rather than gluten development. The method is straightforward, but it does reward patience and a gentle hand. Once you understand the technique, this recipe becomes a reliable basic cake to return to again and again.
The ingredients are simple pantry staples: eggs, caster sugar, vanilla, potato starch, cornflour, butter, jam, cream, and icing sugar. There are no complicated steps or unusual additions. The real secret is in how the batter is handled. Beating the eggs and sugar until thick and pale creates the foundation for a fluffy sponge. Sifting the dry ingredients several times keeps the texture light. Folding, rather than stirring, protects the air already built into the mixture.
My three essential tips for the best gluten free Victorian sponge cake are:
- Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs do not whip as well and will not hold as much air, so take them out of the fridge before you begin.
- Triple sift the potato starch and cornflour. This step may feel small, but it makes a noticeable difference to the final texture of the sponge.
- Fold the flour in very gently, one third at a time, using a thin rubber spatula. Start with small amounts and scrape right to the bottom of the bowl, because flour can settle there and create clumps if it is not properly incorporated.
This gluten free sponge cake is a wonderful recipe to keep as a family classic. It is light enough for afternoon tea, pretty enough for a celebration, and simple enough for confident beginner bakers. Serve it fresh with whipped cream, jam, and a pot of tea, and enjoy a cake that proves gluten free baking can be soft, delicate, and completely delicious.
- 6 medium eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup potato starch
- 1/2 cup cornflour
- 60g unsalted butter, melted
- Homemade jam
- Whipped cream
- Icing sugar, to dust
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease two 20cm square or round cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
- Place the eggs, caster sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat for 8 minutes, or until the mixture is thick, pale, and airy.
- While the egg mixture is beating, triple sift the potato starch and cornflour together into a separate bowl. This helps create a lighter gluten free sponge.
- Sift one third of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Using a thin rubber spatula, fold it through very gently. At first, add only a tablespoon at a time to make it easier to incorporate without losing too much air.
- Continue folding in the remaining flour mixture in two more additions. Scrape the bottom of the bowl as you fold, because the flour can sink and form small clumps if it is not fully mixed through.
- Gently fold through the melted butter until just combined. Avoid overmixing, as this can reduce the volume of the batter.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared cake tins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cakes are lightly golden and spring back when gently touched.
- Transfer the cakes to wire racks. While one sponge is still warm, spread it with jam so it can soak slightly into the cake.
- Allow both sponge cakes to cool completely. Add a layer of whipped cream over the jam, place the second sponge on top, and dust with icing sugar before serving.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease two 20cm square or round cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
- Place the potato starch and cornflour into the Thermomix bowl and mix for 10 seconds on speed 5. Set aside, then clean and dry the bowl thoroughly.
- Insert the butterfly whisk. Add the eggs, caster sugar, and vanilla extract, then beat for 5 minutes on speed 5 with the measuring cup removed.
- Transfer the egg mixture to a large bowl. Manually fold the sifted flour mixture through the eggs one third at a time using a thin rubber spatula. This gentle hand-folding method helps retain as much air as possible for a soft, fluffy gluten free sponge.
- Start by folding through small spoonfuls of flour, scraping the base of the bowl as you go to prevent any flour from settling at the bottom. Once the flour is fully incorporated, gently fold through the melted butter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cakes are springy to the touch.
- Transfer the cakes to wire racks. Spread jam over one sponge while it is still warm, then allow both cakes to cool completely.
- Top the jam layer with whipped cream, sandwich the cakes together, and finish with a dusting of icing sugar before serving.