To celebrate the University of Birmingham’s 125th anniversary in 2025, the University Baking Society challenged students to create a celebration cake. The winning recipe is an adapted Victoria Sponge, chosen in honour of the Queen who granted the University’s royal charter in 1900.

Student Erin Babington, who baked the winning cake, said: ‘Not only is a Victoria Sponge one of the most well-known and popular desserts in England, but it is also an incredibly easy to make and mouldable recipe. With all the ingredients being equal parts, I thought I could try and make each ingredient 125g to link perfectly with the 125 years celebration of the University of Birmingham.

‘This recipe uses fresh strawberries and strawberry jam for both the flavour and the decoration, to relate their bright red colour to the classic colour of University of Birmingham. I also like to finish the cake with fresh flowers, linking to the famous Winterbourne House and Gardens. Overall, this cake being such a British tradition and so accessible to everyone it is perfect to celebrate a brilliant University.’

Download the recipe and tell us how your cake turns out! Email us or share a photo on Facebook, X or Instagram pages – tag us in by including @birminghamalum. You could even include your 125th anniversary party hat. 

Recipe for Victoria Sponge Cake

 

Ingredients

For the cake batter

•    125g butter

•    125g self-raising flour

•    125g caster sugar

•    Two medium or three small eggs

•    1tsp vanilla extract

•    Milk if needed

For the fillings and decoration

•    300ml double cream

•    2-3 tablespoons icing sugar plus extra for dusting

•    1tsp vanilla extract

•    Approximately half a jar of strawberry jam

•    1 pack of strawberries

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 160C fan and grease a seven inch pan or line it with baking parchment

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy

3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until fully combined.

4. Sift in the flour and fold into the mix, careful not to overmix

5. Add milk into the mixture if the mixture is too thick (mixture should drop off the spoon lightly)

6. Add into the tin and cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let stand until it is cooled.

7. While the cake is cooking/cooling, add the icing sugar to the double cream and whip until it forms just under stiff peaks, slice three or four of the strawberries into small cubes

9. Once cooled, cut the cake in half and spread the whipped cream over the bottom layer

10. Quickly microwave the jam to make it smoother before spreading it over the cream, add as much as you like. Then add the chopped strawberries to the top of the jam.

11. Add the top layer, decorate with remaining strawberries and finish with a dust of icing sugar