Victoria Sponge Cake

Recipe View Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with parchment paper. Lightly spray parchment paper with cooking spray. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, cornstarch, and baking powder into a medium bowl; whisk in salt and set aside. (3 minutes)

Recipe View Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, beat sugar and softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. (4 minutes)

Recipe View Incorporate Eggs & Vanilla: Beat in eggs, one at a time, on medium speed, allowing each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next, 1 to 2 minutes total. Beat in vanilla extract. (3 minutes)

Recipe View Combine Wet & Dry: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk, beating until just combined after each addition. Be careful not to overmix. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bake: Evenly divide batter between prepared pans and spread into an even layer using a small offset spatula. Firmly tap pans on a kitchen towel-lined counter several times to release any air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes. (20 minutes)

Recipe View Cool: Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a wire rack. Let stand, parchment side down, on wire racks until cooled completely, about 1 hour. (70 minutes)

Recipe View Prep Filling: Remove and discard parchment paper. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Stir preserves in a small bowl until mostly smooth; spread in an even layer over cake. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Whip Cream: In a large bowl, whisk heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract by hand or with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Assemble: Dollop whipped cream over jam, then spread into an even layer. Top with remaining cake layer. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh strawberries (if using). (5 minutes)