Guilt Free Victoria Sponge Cake

Guilt Free Victoria Sponge Cake

I recently discovered a wonderful blog called ~ Downton Abbey Cooks ~ starring the family & servants of that fictional English estate, as well as what foods would have been served at that grand home.  Pamela writes incredibly interesting posts about that period of Britain's history, including dining customs & recipes ~ some of the recipes have even been updated for today's healthy lifestyles.  PBS has been airing this BBC mini series that follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants & it's fantastic!  I'm totally hooked & was so happy to find a blog that delves into what it was like living in Edwardian England. 

I recently made one of Pamela's recipes, it was for a Victoria Sponge Cake, but this one has a twist.  Instead of being weighed down with lots of butter, sugar & flour, her recipe is made with Splenda & cornstarch.  It comes out lighter than air & is perfect if you are wanting a traditional sponge cake, but without all the guilt.  I made a few tweaks to her recipe ~ I used Fat Free Cool Whip in place of the Greek yogurt & I layered my homemade strawberry jam with some sliced strawberries for a double hit of berry flavor.  The fresh eggs J & I gathered over at Dan's house, have such a yellow yolk that the cake took on an incredible golden hue.  All the layers in this cake make for a beautiful presentation & this sponge cake would be the star of any gathering or celebration.

J just loved the cake & so did I.  Since it has no fat in it, I would eat it within 2 days & make sure you don't over cook it, or it will be on the dry side.  Since it doesn't have sugar in it, it doesn't brown like a traditional cake.  Start checking at 12-15 minutes to see if it's done.  Go on over to Pamela's site & check out the recipe & all the things going on over at Downton Abbey.


Making & layering this light-as-air Victoria Sponge Cake was easy. For my double-berry version, I just sliced the cooled cake horizontally, put the top piece of the cake, cut side up, on the plate & then spread on a generous layer of strawberry jam...

Then add a layer of sliced strawberries...

Then add a layer of Fat Free Cool Whip...

Then place the bottom slice of the cake, cut side down (so that the bottom of the cake is now the top of the cake ~ that way you get a smooth looking top to your sponge cake) on top of the Cool Whip layer & sprinkle with powdered sugar & serve.  Such an elegant, no-guilt way to enjoy a beloved English teatime treat.  Serve it with a fresh pot of PG Tips tea or your favorite brew & you are half way to England, without ever leaving your home.  Armchair traveling at its finest!    :)