An arrangement is made such that the magnitude of cure shrinkage obtained by multiplying the thickness of a resin layer 2 between a master mold 1 and a negative mold substrate 3 by the cure shrinkage ratio of the resin and the magnitude of cure shrinkage obtained by multiplying the thickness of a resin layer 4 between the negative mold 23 and the surface of the spherical or flat substrate 5 by the cure shrinkage ratio of the resin can be compensated for by each other. In accordance with this method, an aspherical optical element having a higher precision than ever can be formed at reduced cost by a replica method involving the addition of a resin layer to the surface of a spherical or flat substrate.