There’s a place near me making a sausage roll covered on sesame seeds which is a nice twist.
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In the UK Victoria sponge would be very much a tea-time treat as well as a summertime standalone cake. Many fancy hotel teas provide mini victoria sponges in the tiered cake stand. For Americans, I think strawberry shortcakes might be a more familiar treat? Victoria sponge, strawberry shortcakes, plain scones split down the middle and filled with strawberry jam and clotted cream - all are variations on a delicious flavour combo.
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I can’t speak for Americans.
Strawberry shortcake is common throughout Canada and the States.
I haven’t tried a lot of Victoria Sponges, but the ones I’ve ordered and made have had a nice cake that is lighter than most strawberry shortcakes. Some strawberry shortcakes are designed to be dense (I think that is why they’re called short) . Some Americans might have more to say about it.
Here is the Victoria Sponge I made.
Oh- Also - by stand alone, I meant to say Victoria Sponge and a cup of tea would be a stand alone Afternoon Tea. No need for anything else.
In North America, when most Canadians and Americans hear Afternoon Tea, they tend to be thinking of the Afternoon Tea one sees at hotels and Tea Rooms with scones and sandwiches and dainties that takes 90 minutes to enjoy.
I’ve haven’t seen full size slices of Victoria Sponge of Banoffee at the type of tea that features the 3 parts of Scone, Sandwiches and Little Cakes.
I don’t know how many Americans and Canadians realize a sausage roll and a tea, or one scone with clotted cream and jam, or one slice of Victoria Sponge and a tea, would be an Afternoon Tea for people in the UK on a regular day.
When I visit the UK, we usually do get a slice of cake and a cup of tea, around 4 pm, often at a Tea Room when I’m in a smaller city that has cute little Tea Rooms. 
I think most Canadians would feel let down if they came to an event billed as Afternoon Tea, which half of the Canadians would likely refer to as High Tea or High Noon Tea, not knowing the Rules of Tea, maybe to draw out one or 2 pendants, if they didn’t find scones, finger sandwiches and little cakes available.
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I love a good Victoria sponge cake (and actively dislike strawberry shortcake), but I haven’t found the perfect cake recipe. Needs to be strong enough to support the filling while also light and soft. Perhaps impossible? I have eaten such a cake but not been able to fully replicate it.
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Have you tried Fraisier? It’s my favourite right now.
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In the UK, a Victoria sponge would be quite a simple cake. The cake you made which you posted a photo of would be a very fancy version of it.
Here’s a link to the Mary Berry recipe for Victoria Sponge:
Mary Berry is considered a national treasure and was a judge on the Great British Bake Off for many years and her version would be considered a classic.
In the UK, ‘shortness’ in baking refers to a high proportion of fat in the dough which lends a very tender and crumbly texture to the bake. So a shortcake would be more akin to a scone with a very crumbly texture rather than a dense texture. Perhaps the UK has a different view of strawberry shortcakes just as North Americans might have a different view of Victoria Sponge! Here’s a recipe from a mainstream UK supermarket:
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I’d be interested to know what the filling is considered in the version you are thinking of - it’s usually just a thin layer of jam and a thin layer of cream, so the cake doesn’t need to be too sturdy. The top of the cake just has a sprinkling of fine white sugar.
As far as I know it’s the same in the US. Short pastry, etc. --crumbly and buttery.
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Again, this might be too exotic for the crowd you’re catering for, but coronation chicken is also a British classic which is served up for special occasion afternoon teas.
Gift link from the NYT:
Loads of recipes online, maybe you’ll find one acceptable for your purposes?
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I love Fraisier too! The combination of marzipan and strawberry is wonderful!
Darn! I want one now! Best during strawberry season, though.
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Yes, Fraisier is amazing.
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Yes, the “cakes” in strawberry shortcakes are not very cakelike at all. Much more like scones.
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I’ve always had it with real strawberries, maybe a thin layer of jam. It is the cake part that I take issue with.
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Testing commences this weekend with this new-to-me recipe.
Pretty sure I have aaaaallllll the ingredients already in the house, including leftover ganache from the birthday party gig.
This cake is auditioning for the third and final slot. Since the tea falls before any fresh local fruit comes into season, the flavor choices skew citrus; the first two cakes are ones I’ve made many times (lemon and blood orange.) This third option might be a nice addition, and isn’t exotic at all, which is important given the crowd.
Let’s go!
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I was inspired to look up Fraisier - looks like a French confiserie speciality. In the UK the boulangerie Paul sells them but seems like only as large cakes starting from over £40. Hmmm.
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The classic British sponges have a 1:1:1 ratio of butter, sugar and flour. They are not as light as sponge cakes in Europe, at least that’s what it seems like to me. And nowhere near as light as Angel’s Food cakes I’ve eaten in the Midwest of the US or chiffon cakes my Filipino colleagues have brought to work. So I suppose they are fairly sturdy in a way.
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I ordered one for my birthday a few years ago.
My birthday is in the summertime. Perhaps I can ask my local bakery if a Frasier is within their scope. Or I have a friend who is very good at home baking and might be persuaded to make one if she has the time.
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There’s also the Framboisier 
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It’s easy to make.
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