Victoria Sponge Help!

[tinyTrishkins]

Morning all

I am not a baker by any stretch of the imagination ( cooking yes ).

I want to make a Victoria Sponge for my mum's 90th next week. Does anyone have an idiot proof recipe? I was going to get one ready made and decorated but they are really expensive

I want to make a fairly large one as it will be served at her cofffee morning in her residents lounge and would hazzard a guess at about 15 - 20 people there.

Much appreciated

Trish

[aero280]

I've not had a disaster yet with the traditional recipe:

I make mine in two 8 inch round tins.

3 eggs
6oz self raising
6oz butter
6oz caster sugar

Cream butter and sugar
Add eggs with a touch of flour one at a time and beat in
Food in flour with a metal spoon

Some people add a tablespoonful of warm water before the eggs go in to try and stop it curdling.

Bake on Reg 5 for 20 mins or so. Test with a skewer to see if done. If skewer comes out clean, it's done. Cooking time is very oven dependent. And temp etc will be less if you have a fan oven.

[globetrotter]

Trish, what about doing a traybake - you can always sandwich two together to make a rectangular 'Victoria sandwich' type cake. Makes it much easier to cut for larger numbers.

Mary Berry gives a basic all-in-one sponge traybake as follows:

8oz soft margarine (but I would use butter by preference)
8oz caster sugar
10 oz sr flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
4 tbsp milk

Beat all ingredients together for 2 minutes until well blended and turn into a parchment-lined 12x9 inch tin. Bake in preheated (180C/350F/Mk4) oven for 35-40mins or until cake has shrunk from the sides of the tin and springs back when pressed in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin. Turn out when ready to decorate.

She also gives a recipe for a larger version cooked in a 12x14 inch tin. Same ingredients as above, but 12oz/12oz/1lb/3tsp/6eggs/6tbsp, and cooked for 40-45 mins.

For single traybakes, she says the smaller recipe cuts into 21 small pieces, the larger into 32 small pieces. I think I'd be tempted to cook the first recipe (twice) in a slightly larger tin, to make slightly thinner cakes, and sandwich them together.

[aero280]

Forgot to say. I cut that into 12 slices. So you may need two goes.

The recipe actually says 2eggs and 4oz of everything in 7 inch tins. So a couple of 7 inch cakes each cut into 8 might be enough. Or you could still cut into 12 and let some have two slices!

All my sponges have risen in the middle and you may need to slice off the peak so that one layer sits straight on the other.

[tinyTrishkins]

Thanks Aero and Globtrotter

I am inclined to favour the rectangle...making two and sandwich together, as I would be mortified if there was not enought to go round

I shall have a look in lakeland and see if I can purchase a rectangular tray.

[Suelle]

I find the all-in-one sponge method to be more reliable than a traditional Victoria Sandwich, but you do need either very soft butter (preferably) or soft margarine. My recipe is much like Mary Berry's but she adds a little extra flour which makes the mixture not quite as light, and more suitable for traybakes.

Into a large bowl put 150g of each of butter, caster sugar, SR flour. Plus 3 eggs and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Beat everything together with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth, divide between 2 x 7" or 8" sandwich tins (I'd use the smaller for 3 eggs) and bake at 180c for about 25 minutes or until the sponge springs back up when pressed lightly.

If you want a bigger cake increase the mixture by 50g of everything for each egg added. A 4 egg mixture should nicely fill 2 x 8" sandwich tins.

[barnsleycook]

Like Suelle I favour the all-in-one method. I don't know why anyone does the old fashioned creaming method any more - too time consuming, too much of a faff and uses more electricity (assuming you are using an electric mixer).

I have made traybakes for children's birthday parties and just decorated them with buttercream and sweets. They have always gone down well.

And happy birthday to your mum TT.

[tinyTrishkins]

Thanks for all the imput.

I have just purchased from amazon a tray measuring 35cm x 26cm and about 4cm deep. I shall make two and sandwich together, butter ice and decorate ...will just keep my fingers crossed it should work

Can any one tell me roughly how many egg to flour ratio I will need for this size

[aero280]

I work on equal quantities of egg and flour. An egg is roughly 2 oz. So 4 eggs = 8 oz flour etc.

I was interested in the other recipe that uses s/r flour AND baking powder. Is it very light?

And with a rectangular tray you could make a thin cake and roll it up into a swiss roll!! Is it a solid baking tray? Or does it have a loose base?

Either way you will need some baking paper underneath and maybe around the sides too, especially if the tray is solid.

[Suelle]

[hickybank]

I always weigh the eggs out of their shells and use the same weight in flour Sugar & Butter, so if 4 eggs weigh a total of 250g then 250g of each Flour Sugar Butter
Works for me
Terry

[Suelle]

[tinyTrishkins]

Coor! I knew baking was a sience ...right I think between Sue and Terry I have it sused...Now, is marg or butter better???? some seem to swear by marge and others butter?

Sorry chaps, I know it's only a sponge but I really am a baking virgin

[Suelle]

[hickybank]

I always use the good old Stork,Ideal for baking cakes.

And heres a test for you.

Go to your supermarket & find me a tub of "Margarine"

The answer is "you wont" there is no product in the UK marketed as "Margarine" they are all called spreads.

Dont believe me!!!!! have a look on your next visit & try to proove me wrong

Cheers
Terry

[tinyTrishkins]

I believe you Terry! cause my OH told me so too

Right if I can't find stork I will use butter I am going to attempt this on Monday...for eating on Tuesday morning...I can't make it any earlier as it will go stale. I would like a practice run but I don't want to waste that much ingredients. Fingers crossed I get it right first time.

[hickybank]

You will be fine Trish, just relax take your time & don`t open the oven door before it is cooked or it will sag in the centre.

Cheers
Terry

[StokeySue]

I always weigh the eggs in their shells, then use the same weight of the other ingredients

I don't get on with the all in one method at all - I prefer the old-fashioned two stage method

I use butter - I prefer the taste

Which probably goes to show that any half-reasonable method works if you go for it with confidence.

[tinyTrishkins]

Thanks girls and boys

My baking tray arrived this morning...quick eh! It's perfect..non stick, allthough I will line it with grease proof.

So it's all systems go for Monday.....I'm sure I will be fine, have a hand beater and will measure everything. I'll let you know on Monday how it looks

[Suelle]

[tinyTrishkins]

Good job I looked back on this thread Sue.....I could have made a lovely cake and messed it up with the wrong paper

Thanks...I owe you one

[Suelle]

[barnsleycook]

[Annie]

For 2 x 8" (20cm) rounds I would use 3egg, 6oz flour, cooking margarine and sugar.
and 8" round holds the same as a 7" 18cm square so two would have an are of approx 650 cm²

35cm x 26cm would have an area of 910cm² so I would do 5 eggs, 10oz flour:cooking margarine:sugar don't know how long I would cook it for though as I've not made a rectangular one in years.

By margarine I would actually mean stork or shops own equivalent.

Regarding weighing the eggs it used to be that you should always weigh your eggs then grading came into practice and it was 2 medium eggs to 2oz fl our etc. Now however what is sold as large eggs now is nearly what was sold as medium eggs (profit margins probably but may be to do with metric weights). As I have had ungraded eggs for years from a chicken keeper (small scale allotment thing) or friend who was an egg farmer I still weigh mine. In general though I now find that for old recipes I would use large eggs of today's standards not medium.

I have silicone paper that I line my tins with washable and reusable leaving no mess what so ever. Great stuff but if I didn't use it all the time I would definitely use baking parchment.

[tinyTrishkins]

Here goes bakers ...I'm off to the kitchen to do battle...wish me luck, I will report back once cooked. I am doing each layer seperatley...I only have one tine

[tinyTrishkins]

Ooops ment tin

Thanks for all your help I have two very nice rectangular sponges, all I need to do now is put a jam filling on and butter ice the top

Have to wait till tomorrow for the taste test, but I'm sure it will be fine

[Randy]

[Suelle]

Randy - that's a confusing name for a product. I'd need to read the small print on the box before deciding what it was.

Both brands of baking parchment I have at the moment say the paper is treated with silicones to make it non-stick. If that isn't stated on the ASDA product, then I'd use it as greaseproof paper, which means it needs greasing on both sides before use, and removing from the cake while the cake is still warm - before the grease has time to set again.

tT - well done! If your cakes looked OK as they came out of the oven, then I'm sure they will be OK to eat! There's not much to go wrong, that wouldn't be showing up already.

[tinyTrishkins]

Well it was all brilliant .....I have photo's will put on here after our dinner tonight. The cake was huge, and only half served 20 people...all elderly and all great bakers in their own rights...hense me being a bit nervous. It got the thumbs up ...I have left the rest down there as they have requested it for their afternoon tea tomorrow

Thanks again everyone

[Annie]

glad it worked out well, looking forward to photos.

[Suelle]

Glad the cake went down well! It's nice that there will be some left for tomorrow too.

[miss mouse]

[StokeySue]

Greaseproof paper is good for wrapping sandwiches or cheeses that will sweat in plastic

Or for wrapping cakes if you want to keep two in the same tin/Tupperware without mixing the crumbs

I've only ever greased one side of greaseproof myself Sue? Just the side in contact with the cake? And maybe put a dab of butter under it on the tin to hold it in place.

Baking parchment is also good for separating things like chops, burgers, or sausages before freezing

I'm down to three rolls - parchment, cling, & alu foil. And paper towel of course.

[Suelle]

[tinyTrishkins]

[Suelle]

Well done tT - it looks just the job!

[StokeySue]

Nice tT!

I have cheated for Mum's next Birthday cake (3 weeks) - I went into Lakeland's sale and they had discounted packs of the usually very expensive pre-made piped roses, so I nabbed some

Going down on Saturday though the newly opened Hindhead tunnel, which should save me about 20 minutes on the journey going, and as much as 50 coming back on a Sunday night among all the coastal traffic. Why do people have ot take their offsprung to the beach, eh?

[aero280]

Hindhead tunnel is only open southbound at the moment!!

Northbound will open "in a few days"" . You may be lucky, but don't bank on it.

And Saturday morning could be busy, a lot of car clubs are organising "tunnel runs" that day..... just to hear their exhaust reverberate off the walls

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14316672

[StokeySue]

[StokeySue]

Phew!

Hindhead tunnel northbound to open at 12 noon today, according to the BBC traffic lady

Hopefully all the excitement will be over by the time I get there - tunnel runners not withstanding (do they really not have anything better to do on a summer Saturday?)

[miss mouse]