Jam Sponge Cake Recipes

What counts as a jam sponge

A jam sponge is any light cake that is filled, layered or served with jam. The best known is the Victoria sponge: two buttery layers sandwiched with raspberry or strawberry jam and often whipped cream, finished with a dusting of icing sugar. But the idea is broader. A whisked sponge made with little or no fat, a rolled Swiss roll (see our lemon cake rolls), and a warm steamed pudding with jam at the bottom all belong to the same family.

This page gives you two dependable methods and explains how to pick between them. Both need only basic pantry ingredients and neither needs a decorating skill.

Classic Victoria sponge (equal-weight method)

The traditional British approach is to weigh the eggs in their shells, then use the same weight of sugar, butter (or soft margarine) and self-raising flour. It is easy to scale and hard to get wrong. If you would rather skip creaming, our all-in-one method baking guide covers a faster approach.

Ingredients

For two 18 to 20 cm (7 to 8 inch) round tins:

4 large eggs (about 225 g in the shell, so weigh yours)
Caster sugar, same weight as the eggs
Soft butter or baking spread, same weight as the eggs
Self-raising flour, same weight as the eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
3 to 4 tablespoons jam, such as strawberry or raspberry
150 ml double cream and 1 tablespoon icing sugar, for the filling (optional)
Extra icing sugar for dusting

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, about 350°F). Grease and line two tins.
Weigh the eggs, then measure the other ingredients to match.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs a little at a time, with a spoonful of the flour if the mixture looks like it might curdle.
Fold in the flour gently until just combined. Overmixing tends to give a firmer cake.
Divide between the tins and bake for roughly 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and the top springs back when pressed lightly. Ovens vary, so start checking early.
Cool in the tins for a few minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
Whip the cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks. Spread jam over one layer, then the cream, then top with the second layer and dust with icing sugar.

Some recipes use a mix of butter and margarine. Butter gives richer flavour, while soft margarine or baking spread is often said to give a lighter crumb. Half and half is a fair compromise.

Whisked jam and cream sponge

A whisked sponge relies on air beaten into eggs and sugar rather than on creamed butter. One common home version uses about 6 eggs, around 3/4 cup caster sugar and a mix of self-raising and plain flour, with a couple of tablespoons of hot water folded in at the end.

The method is the key:

Beat the whole eggs for a couple of minutes, then add the sugar gradually and keep beating for several more minutes, until the mixture is thick, pale and leaves a trail when the beaters are lifted.
Sift the flour over and fold it in with a large metal spoon, cutting through the batter rather than stirring, to keep the air in.
Bake in two lined, lightly floured 20 cm tins at 180°C for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Sandwich with jam and whipped cream.

This style is lighter and drier than a Victoria sponge, so it benefits from the jam and cream. It is best eaten the day it is made.

Other jam sponge ideas

Swiss roll. A thin whisked sponge, rolled while warm and filled with jam. If you like the lightness of that style, the egg-foam technique in our Greek sponge cake guide and the water-bath method for a very soft, jiggly crumb in our Taiwanese sponge cake article are worth a look.
Traybake. Bake the Victoria batter in a lined rectangular tin, split or top with jam, and cut into squares.
Cake mix shortcut. Many people swirl a few spoonfuls of jam through a boxed cake mix batter or spread it between layers. Jam adds moisture and sugar, so use it sparingly inside the batter and avoid very runny jam.
Steamed jam sponge pudding. A spoonful of jam in the bottom of a basin, topped with creamed sponge batter and steamed until set. Serve with custard.

Choosing the jam

A good filling jam is thick enough to hold its shape. Raspberry gives a slight tartness that balances a sweet sponge, and strawberry is the classic familiar choice. If your jam is loose, warm it briefly and let it cool so it spreads thinly. Seedless jams are easier to spread evenly. Use a thin layer: too much will make the layers slide and the cake soggy.

Tips for a light sponge

Use room-temperature eggs and soft butter.
Measure by weight where you can.
Fold, do not stir, once the flour goes in.
Do not open the oven door early in the bake.
Let the layers cool completely before filling, otherwise the cream melts.
If you like honey-sweetened bakes, you may also enjoy the denser, spiced style of Portuguese honey cake.

Storing and freezing jam sponge

Keep a cake filled with jam only in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. Once cream is added, store the cake in the refrigerator and eat it within a day or two.

Plain sponge layers generally freeze well when wrapped tightly. For best results, freeze the layers unfilled and add jam and cream after thawing. A cake filled with jam only can usually be frozen too, wrapped well, though the jam may soften the crumb a little as it thaws. Cream-filled cakes can change texture after freezing, so it is usually better to add fresh cream on the day.

Jam sponge FAQ

Can I add jam to my cake mix? Yes, many bakers swirl a small amount into the batter, but too much can sink or make the crumb heavy. Spreading it between layers is the safer route.

Can you freeze sponge cake with jam? Generally yes if it is wrapped well. Freezing the layers separately and filling later gives the freshest result.

What are the basic ingredients for a sponge cake? Eggs, sugar and flour, with butter or another fat in the creamed style. The whisked style depends on eggs and sugar beaten thoroughly for volume.

Do supermarkets sell Victoria sponge? Many UK supermarkets stock ready-made versions, but availability varies by store, so check locally.