The classic cakes are always the best, like this easy to cook Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake. How to make a simple chocolate cake mix using basic ingredients of butter, sugar, eggs, flour and cocoa powder.
Two-tier British chocolate sandwich filled with chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfect homemade birthday cake, afternoon treat or just an excuse to get baking.
Uk measurements and time are given for baking in the oven in two, 7 inch, 8 inch or 9-inch sandwich tins or one single deep cake tin and cut in half.
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How to make Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake
We give you all the advice you will need to make this chocolate version of the British classic Victoria sponge cake. Keep reading below the recipe card for cooking tips, FAQs, and storage information for this homemade sandwich cake.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake
- 3 Large Eggs - Room temperature
- 190 grams Butter - Room temperature (Stork or margerine can be used instead)
- 190 grams Caster Sugar
- 145 grams Self-raising flour
- 45 grams Cocoa powder
Chocolate Buttercream filling
- 130 grams Butter - Room Temperture
- 230 grams Icing sugar - plus extra for dusting on top
- 70 grams Cooking Chocolate - We use milk chocolate but you could use dark if preferred.
Instructions
Prepare for cake
- For best results I would highly recommend weighing the 3 Large Eggs including the shells and matching your other ingredients measurements to that weight. The flour & cocoa powder should be weighed together to make up to the same weight as the eggs.
- Sift the 145 grams Self-raising flour and 45 grams Cocoa powder together to remove lumps.45 grams Cocoa powder, 145 grams Self-raising flour
- Grease the inside of two loose bottom, 8 inch / 20 cm sandwich cake tins - If using different size tins or only one tin check blog post for guidance on ingredients and cooking times.
- Add baking paper to fit the bottom of both cake tins this makes it easy to remove from the tin later. Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / 375°F
- If using cake baking strips for ensuring level cakes, measure up to the tins, then place in a container filled with cold water to soak up into the strips
Make Chocolate Cake
- Cream the 190 grams Butter until softened in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, until smooth. Add 190 grams Caster Sugar a bit at a time190 grams Butter, 190 grams Caster Sugar
- Cream until light and fluffy, with a pale yellow colour. This should take approximately 4 minutes with a stand mixer or up to 10 minutes by hand.Once creamed together the butter and sugar will have almost doubled in volume.
- Turn speed of mixer to the lowest setting, add 3 Large Eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of the flour and cocoa powder to prevent curdling - if it does still curdle it does not matter it will come back together once dry ingredients are added3 Large Eggs
- Add half the flour and cocoa powder, mix on medium speed until combined.
- Add remaining half of flour and cocoa powder, this time use a spoon to fold the mixture in by hand until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Split mixture between the two tins (I always use scales to make sure they are definitly even, but you can eyeball it)
- Use a spatula to push the mixture evenly around the tin.
- If using squeeze some water out of the baking strips
- Add the wet baking strips to the outside of the sandwich cake tins
- Cook in preheat oven 190°C / 170°C fan / 375°F for 22 minutes.Check to see if the cake has pulled away from the sides. Should be soft and spring back from your touch.
- Leave in tins to cool for 10 minutes.
- Tip upside down on to a wire rack and remove the baking paper.
- Leave on wire rack until completley cooled, do not handle too much whilst warm as the cake is prone to break, crack and crumble. It will firm up as it cools.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Melt 70 grams Cooking Chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water.Or in the microwave at 50% power stirring every 30 seconds until melted.70 grams Cooking Chocolate
- Use electric mixer with paddle attachment or whisk to soften 130 grams Butter130 grams Butter
- Use a sieve to sift in half the 230 grams Icing sugar mix on low, add remaining half and mix until soft and fluffy230 grams Icing sugar
- Pour the melted chocolate into the frosting.
- Mix until well combined
Assemble Chocolate Victoria Sponge
- Place the prepared chocolate buttercream on to one of the sponges
- Spread to edges with a spatuala
- Add top layer and push down gently.
- Sprinkle with icing sugar on top.
- Slice and serve, as it is or with some cream.
Video
Nutrition
Our Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake recipe was originally published on 01/06/2021. It was modified on 02/07/2024 with a more straightforward layout to make getting to the recipe card easier and improved advice.
If using two 8-inch sandwich tins, jump on down to the recipe card to get started.
Or continue reading for other cake tin sizes or how to adapt this recipe to make a similar two-layered sandwich cake from only one deep cake tin.
Equipment
Here is the equipment needed to make this chocolate victoria cake.
Chocolate Victoria Sponge Ingredients
A traditional British Victoria sponge cake is made with equal measures of egg, sugar, butter, and flour. It has a buttercream and jam filling and is often sliced and served as part of an afternoon tea with a cup of tea.
It is believed to be one of Queen Victoria's favourite cakes; you can read more about the history of the Queen's cakes here.
We replace some of the flour in the cake mix with cocoa powder to give our Victoria sponge a delicious chocolate taste.
Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake
- 3 Large Eggs Room temperature
- 190 grams Butter Room temperature (Stork or margerine can be used instead)
- 190 grams Caster Sugar
- 145 grams Self-raising flour
- 45 grams Cocoa powder
Chocolate Buttercream filling
- 130 grams Butter Room Temperture
- 230 grams Icing sugar plus extra for dusting on top
- 70 grams Cooking Chocolate We use milk chocolate but you could use dark if preferred.
Skip the jam and add melted chocolate in with the buttercream. It creates a light, fluffy chocolate cake.
How to upscale and downsize cake recipe
For this recipe, we have used two 8-inch (20-cm) loose-bottom sandwich cake tins. We have also worked out the ingredient weights to reduce this chocolate cake to a small 7-inch or increase it to a large 9-inch sandwich tin.
I have worked out the measurements below for other size tins. I have based this on the average large egg size.
For the most accurate results, weigh your eggs first (with shell), then match the amount of the other ingredients to your eggs. Simple!
All our American friends...... sorry for no cup conversions here....... but this recipe needs accurate measurements! It’s time to invest in some scales!
| Two Sandwich Tins Size > ▼ Ingredients ▼ | 7 inch 18 cm | 8 inch 20 cm | 9 inch 23 cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs (large) | 2 eggs | 3 eggs | 4 eggs |
| Sugar | 130 g | 190 g | 250 g |
| Butter | 130 g | 190 g | 250 g |
| Flour | 100 g | 145 g | 190 g |
| Cocoa Powder | 30 g | 45 g | 60 g |
Chocolate Buttercream filling
The Victoria sandwich cake traditionally only has buttercream in the centre of the two layers, “hence the name sandwich cake”.
This single layer of buttercream keeps the cake from being too rich and sickly.
| Cake size > ▼ Chocolate Buttercream filling for in between two cake layers ▼ | 7 inch 18 cm | 8 inch 20 cm | 9 inch 23 cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 100 g | 130 g | 160 g |
| Icing Sugar | 175 g | 230 g | 285 g |
| Chocolate | 50 g | 70 g | 90 g |
If you want to add buttercream frosting on the top of the cake, double the above buttercream ingredients.
Or triple for a extra rich chocolate frosting coating to cover inside, on the top and around the sides.
We also have a chocolate buttercream recipe that uses cocoa powder instead.
Can I cook a two layer sponge cake in one cake tin?
The chocolate Victoria sponge cake is best when baked in two matching size sandwich tins. It will create two even-sized and flat (not domed) layer cakes perfectly cooked light and fluffy cakes ready in 20 - 25 minutes.
If you only have one deep cake tin instead of two sandwich tins, you can still make this two-layered chocolate cake.
It will, however, take more time to bake in the oven, have a more domed top, and the sponge cake will not be as light and fluffy.
The extra time needed to cook the cake will overbake the tops and sides of the cake.
You will also need to cut the cake in half yourself once cooled before adding the frosting, which will take more time and effort than baking in two sandwich tins from the start.
Use the chart below to calculate the time needed to cook different-sized cakes in one deep cake tin or two sandwich tins; we have also included how many slices the chocolate cake can be cut into.
| Cooking time for the round cake tin | 7 inch 18cm | 8 inch 20cm | 9 inch 23cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two even sized sandwich cake tins | 20 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| 1 deep cake tin cut into two once cooled | 45 minutes | 50 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Amount of slices it will cut into | 6-10 | 10-14 | 10-18 |
How to create level cakes
In order to achieve a level cake without the dreaded doming in the middle, we highly recommend using Wilton baking strips
They help give us perfectly cooked, even layered sponges every time. The Wilton bake-even strips can be used on any sized tins.
Simply wet them down whilst preparing the chocolate cake mix, then pop the wet baking strips around the outsides of the cake tin.
They work by keeping the sides cool preventing the sides from cooking too quickly which can create an undesired dome in the middle of the cake.
I brought the baking strips as I was fed up that every cake I cooked ended up flat around the edges and risen in the middle.
I was not sure if it would work and was pleasantly surprised that they did! They are reusable, I use them on every cake I bake!
How to serve
We usually keep it simple with a dusting of icing sugar to finish this cake.
In all honesty, this chocolate Victoria sponge is great served sliced by itself. However, if serving it as a dessert, you could add some cream for extra richness.
This simple chocolate cake recipe could also be made ahead and covered with fondant icing for a birthday cake.
Storing chocolate cake
Wrap in cling film, a large zip lock bag or a sealed cake box. Make sure no air can get to it. The chocolate cake with buttercream is best kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Or for longer life store in the fridge for up to 5 days, but bring back to room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions?
To make it easier to remove cake from tins, use a greaseproof paper cut to the size of your tin. You can buy them baking parchment pre-cut or cut your own.
The dreaded doming incurs when the outside of the cake cooks quicker than the middle.
the best way to prevent this is using baking strips soaked in water which keeps the outside from cooking so quick. We use the Wilton baking strips to prevent this.
When the cake is cooked the sides will begin to pull away from the edges, it will feel soft and should spring back up from a gentle push. Use a toothpick or skewer to check it is cooked through, it should come out clean.
Once the cake is removed from the oven, leave the cake in the tin to cool for 10 minutes. Then tip upside down onto a wire rack and remove baking paper, now leave the cakes to cool completely.
Do not handle too much whilst the chocolate cake is warm it will crack or crumble. Once cool it will firm back up.
We hope you enjoy this cake as much as our family do! Please ask us any questions, leave us a comment and share your cake with us on social media!
More British Recipes
Our Lemon Drizzle Cake or Farmhouse Sultana Cake are fantastic British cake recipes to try for next time or for smaller cakes try our chocolate chip fairy cakes, rock cakes or golden syrup flapjacks.
Or check out some of our other traditional British recipes.
Cynthia
Hi, I’ve just bought a fan assisted oven .what setting is best to cook the Victoria sponge cake top and bottom heat. Or the fan setting. I love your recipes, but still trying to understand my new fan assisted oven, which program do I use for cakes? What oven do you use to make? These recipes would be helpful if I knew which program to select.
Luke and Kay
Hi Cynthia
Thanks for the question?
All our recipes will give you the temperatures for all oven settings conventional, fan and gas we do have a blog post which will help convert other recipes into fan temperatures for you Oven Temperature Conversion °C to °F - Fan to Gas Mark. I personally always use my fan setting on my oven when we bake our cakes but it comes down to personal preference. Our oven is a Britannia Range cooker if that helps.
I hope you enjoy the Chocolate Victoria sponge 🙂