This classic vegan victoria sponge cake is so simple to make, just one bowl and step-by-step photos. Deliciously light and moist with no weird ingredients!
What could be more quintessentially British than a slice of Victoria Sponge cake and a nice cup of tea? How very Downton. Well here's a deliciously light and moist vegan victoria sponge deep-filled with jam and buttercream that you will bake again and again once you've tried it, I promise!
Some years ago when I started vegan-ising cake recipes I got a bit fed up of all the cake recipes using vinegar to turn plant milk into a vegan 'buttermilk' as an egg replacer. One day a thought struck me as I was eating vegan yoghurt and granola for breakfast.... surely vegan yoghurt is basically the same as buttermilk, why not give it a go in a cake recipe?
So I did and this Vegan Victoria Sponge was born. It works so well - the yoghurt keeps the sponge incredibly moist, (especially if you can keep it in an airtight tin overnight - see my 'top tips' below. And there's no weird vinegar, flax or chia seeds or funny ingredients - I'm pretty sure you'll find all these ingredients in your nearest supermarket.
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📝 What you need
Dairy-free butter Do try to use a block 'butter' rather than spread out of a tub - you will get much better results. I used the new Flora Plant Butter block which is excellent, or Naturli block is also great if you can find it. It tends to be in the same aisle as the dairy butter at supermarkets.
Dairy-free yoghurt I tend to choose soya yoghurt (unsweetened) which gives the best results as it has the highest protein content of the various yoghurts available, and also no powerful flavours. But if you can't use soya any other yoghurt will work fine - I like the new oatly oat yoghurts.
Dairy-free milk As above, I usually use soya milk for baking due to its protein content. Unsweetened is best.
👩🏽🍳 Expert Tips
Here are my top tips for making a perfect vegan Victoria Sponge Cake:
1. 'Rest' your sponge cake overnight in an airtight tin or tupperware. I know it sounds strange but this is the single most important thing you can do to improve the texture of your sponge. There's something about the chemistry of vegan cakes that gives them a bit of a crispy outside layer when the first come out of the oven. I don't know how it works but resting the cooled cakes overnight in a sealed tin or tub somehow draws the moisture right through the cake, so the sponge becomes extremely soft and moist, with no crispy coating. It is actually magic.
Don't skip this step, even if it means staying up late the night before to make the cakes before adding the jam and buttercream the following day - this is the difference between an OK cake and a showstopper.
2. Get as much air into the margarine and sugar mixture as you can - eggs act as a raising agent as well as their binding properties, so by substituting them with soya yoghurt we just need to work a little harder to get plenty of air into the mixture for a really light sponge.
Do this by beating the margarine and sugar in a food mixer for much much longer than you think you need to - 4 minutes seems like an absolute age, but it will make such a difference to the cake, I promise!
2. Get the cakes into the oven as quickly as you can once you've added the flour and baking powder Raising agents start to work as soon as they come into contact with liquid. so have your tins prepared in advance, oven at the right temperature, and work quickly to get the cakes baking as soon as you can.
3. Use good quality dairy-free block 'butter - a good quality block margarine makes all the difference, both to the sponge and the buttercream. Tub margarines have much too much water in them for baking.
4. Be generous with the fillings - you'll see from my pictures that I don't like skimping on the jam and buttercream! This is partly because when you serve someone a 'vegan cake' they are fully expecting it to be dry, tasteless and heavy. So if you serve them a light, moist and airy sponge slathered with lots of creamy buttercream and jam, they really won't believe it's vegan!
6. Get lots of air into the buttercream - I often use a whisk attachment on my food mixer for this (rather than the beater). A really light buttercream filling is just so creamy, and adds to the lovely airy texture of the cake.
I've deliberately made the buttercream fairly firm - if it were for, say, a cupcake topping I would add some plant milk or cream to loosen it up, but to make the cake easier to slice and eat you want a substantial buttercream here that won't slip and slide around!
7. A controversial one.... don't call it a Vegan cake! Just serve it up calling it a Victoria Sponge and I bet no one will guess it is 'free-from' anything at all. Tell them afterwards whilst basking in compliments!
⭐️ Reader Testimonials
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Absolutely the BEST textured cake I have ever eaten – plant based or otherwise. It never lasts long in our house!" Jenny
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I have just made this as a two tier wedding cake and it was absolutely excellent! Totally recommend! Xx" Diane
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This is such a wonderful recipe!!! I have struggled finding a vegan recipe that taste as good as its non-vegan counterparts and many other recipes come out really dense or reaking of vinegar. But this one baked great! Thank you very much for sharing such a brilliant recipe." Krystle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "The BEST Victoria sponge I have ever made, vegan or not! What an amazing recipe." Kathryn
❄️ Freezing your sponge cake
The sponges freeze beautifully, but not the buttercream - so if you need to make these ahead just wait for them to cool completely, then put a piece of greaseproof paper between the two sponges, wrap them in foil and freeze until needed. Then just defrost, and sandwich together with the jam and buttercream when you need them.
You can also make some beautiful mini vegan victoria sponges - perfect for an afternoon tea. I use this brilliant mini loose-base sandwich tin* from Lakeland but if you don't have one you could just bake a couple of big square cakes then use a round pastry cutter to cut out small-ish circles and sandwich them together with the jam and buttercream.
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🍽 If you liked that...
.... you might also enjoy these vegan recipes from The Veg Space:
📖 Recipe
Vegan Victoria Sponge
Ingredients
For the sponge:
- 200 g dairy-free block margarine
- 300 g caster sugar
- 200 g dairy-free yoghurt Soya yoghurt (unsweetened) works best
- 200 ml dairy-free milk
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 400 g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
For the buttercream:
- 150 g dairy-free block margarine
- 200 g icing sugar
- strawberry or raspberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line two 22cm cake tins.
- In a food mixer, beat the margarine and sugar together for 2-3 minutes, (yes, really!), until pale and fluffy.
- Add the yoghurt, soya milk, and the vanilla extract, then the flour and baking powder and mix until fully combined. (Don't beat it, just a slow mix).
- Divide the mixture between the two tins, and bake for 20-22 minutes until an inserted skewer or knife comes out clean. Then remove from the oven and turn out onto a cooling rack.
- To make the buttercream, just beat the margarine and icing sugar in a food mixer for 3-4 minutes until very light and fluffy.
- When the cakes are completely cool, (a few hours at least), smother the top of one with plenty of jam.
- Pipe or spread the buttercream over the jam, then carefully sandwich the cakes together. Sprinkle the top of the cake liberally with caster sugar.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
Video
Nutrition
Free 4-Week Vegan Meal Plan
Have you got your hands on a copy of my meal plan yet? If not CLICK here to download a copy of my FREE 4 Week Vegan Meal Plan today!
For more quick and easy vegan recipes take a look at my latest book Vegan in 15.
"Brilliant! Chock full of easy recipes and great tips and advice" Hello! Magazine
For more vegan baking inspiration check out these recipes from blogger friends:
- Helen's Easy Ginger Cake from Fuss Free Flavours
- Elizabeth's Chocolate Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting from Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary
- Nadia's Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Mug Cake from Nadia's Healthy Kitchen
- Rebecca's Peanut Butter & Banana Bread from Munchies & Munchkins
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Hi Kate so happy to have found this recipe. My grandson is allergic to eggs. Going to bake this for his 1st birthday. Will the fage yoghurt work in this recipe. Many thanks 🙏
Hi Julie, I've never tested it with dairy yoghurt but I'm sure it will work - I wouldn't use the fat-free Fage yoghurt, but the one that has a bit more fat in. Let me know how it turns out! X
I was really sceptical of this recipe, but it is amazing so light and fluffy. Everyone loved it, 10/10 would recommend.
Oh that's great to hear, thanks Abi!
Is it possible to substitute vegan butter with vegan shortening? There is even less water in shortening and it's so so much cheaper where I live. But I'm worried about the flavour or lack thereof. Any opinions on this? I know it's not uncommon to use it when baking cookies but what about a sponge cake and buttercream frosting?
Hi Sarah, I've heard of people using half and half shortening and vegan butter in both sponge cakes and buttercream with really good results, however I haven't tested the recipe with 100% shortening so couldn't say what the results will be. Please let me know if you do give it a go!
Has anyone tried doing this cake gluten free? How much flour would i use?thanks in advance.x
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe Kate! Definitively a game changer for me as I had been struggling for the past four years with vinegar and baking soda with the necessary (most needed) variations thereof . Finally a soft, moist texture with a delicate taste. I made one Victoria sandwich as per your directions and one orange marmalade sandwich soaked in its orange syrup: my guests wanted me to tell you how happy they were this afternoon. Best wishes from sunny Italy
This is wonderful to hear, thanks so much Virginia x
Hi Kate, looks like a great cake, I’d like to make it for my partners birthday. I have 20cm round cake tins instead of 22cm as you suggested in the recipe, can you advise how I should adjust the cooking time when using 20cm tins please? Thanks!
Hi Becky, as all ovens are different and it is only 2cm difference, I would say just keep an eye on it - maybe check it at 18 minutes if it looks OK through the door, either press down lightly on the top and see if it springs back, or insert a knife or skewer and see if it comes out clean. If not, leave it in for another 4-5 minutes then test again. Sorry not to be able to give an exact figure but there are so many variables it is really just a case of keeping an eye on it. Kate x
Hi Kate. Thanks for recipe. Have bought ingredients
and looking forward to making the sponge. What I really want to know is what make/size the cake tins are in the picture. They look really good and would like to purchase a set like these. Thanks!
Hi, that's great - hope they turn out well! My tins are these loose-bottomed ones from Lakeland, I can't recommend them enough - pleasingly heavy and nothing has ever stuck in them! https://amzn.to/3pEky1B Enjoy x
Thanks for link. I recently purchased a good quality 18cm tin set also with a nice weight to them. However I really like the idea of the side ‘handles’ and need a bigger diameter set so will probably buy these. As I will be using the 18cm/7”tin size I might reduce the quantities a bit although they do have a generous 2” depth so it could be o.k as is.
Considering using half wholemeal s/r flour & half white s/r flour -advice welcome!
Thanks again for link and sharing recipe.
I’ve made it twice in a week. Everyone loved it! I did make my own vegan strawberry raspberry jam. I’m known for my vegan tiramisu but I have a feeling this will be right up there when I’m asked to bring dessert. Thanks for this scrumptious recipe!
Hi Kate,
Lovely cake 🥰 I've made your red velvet cake the other day, too and it was a huge hit. The only thing I'm finding is that the baking times don't work for me at all. I need to bake for 30 mins at least... perhaps it's because I am using spelt flour although I have never found it altering baking times substantially in other recipes? Much love and thank you for sharing the cake love 💚
I made 1+1/2 of this recipe to make three tiers - check it out on instagram - fab recipe - cake was moist for days! @veganmgn . Huge thanks - made my friends 30th!
Oh how lovely, thanks so much - will look it up on insta! Xx
I was a bit sceptical as have tried lots of eggless recipes before so halved all the ingredients just in case I didn't like it.. I wish I hadn't. It turned out lovely, not dense or stodgy but light and, springy. I would however reduce the sugar in the buttercream next time as it was too sweet for me. Delicious! Thankyou.
That's so great to hear, thanks Sukhy x
Hi . I think I will have a go at this as I want to try and make a cake for my sons birthday. As I only need it egg free, can I use normal dairy rather than dairy free / soya yoghurt etc?
Hi Sabrina, yes absolutely, dairy milk and yoghurt will work too. Kate
Absolutely the BEST textured cake I have ever eaten - plant based or otherwise. It never lasts long in our house!
Brilliant!! So glad to hear it, thanks Jenny x
I have made this recipe countless times and everyone always loves it! I was wondering if it could be made into cupcakes and if so what quantities and cooking time would you suggest? Thanks so much!
Hi Jessica, it absolutely could, but you might also like to take a look at my Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes recipe in the baking recipe index - the sponge mixture is very similar, but the quantities and baking time etc are adjusted for cupcakes instead. Hope that helps! Kate x
Help! My son says this is the best cake he has ever tasted and now wants me to make it for his wedding! Any suggestions on how I can adapt it?
Omg! I want to make it for a wedding too and was just about to see if I should change anything! ❤️ I was planning on making it a naked cake 🍰
I have just made this as a two tier wedding cake and it was absolutely excellent! I made a mixed berry sponge filling with a little lemon to change it up. I made it one day in advance and it was iced as a naked cake, it held well and stayed wonderfully soft and moist. I used 10inch and 8inch pans but I slightly over made batter, doing 2 batches of double recipe and I ended up with an extra 10inch and 8 inch cake layer haha! So to make a two tier with those sizes with a sandwich on the top and bottom you won’t need quite that much! Maybe 3x recipe. I also used cake card in between the layers and some dowels for support. Absolutely recommend! Xx
How brilliant! I'd love to see a picture - so glad it worked out well. Kate x
This is such a wonderful recipe!!! I have struggled finding a vegan recipe that taste as good as its non-vegan counterparts and many other recipes come out really dense or reaking of vinegar. But this one baked great! It's fluffy, has a great bounce and tastes amazing! I stuck to the recipe using Vitalite, Soya milk and Soya yogurt and can not fault it one bit! Thank you very much for sharing such a brilliant recipe!