Your best 'fail safe' Victoria Sandwichrecipes please.

marmitepotato

Yesterday I made a Victoria sandwich using 8 inch tins. I used a Mary Berry recipe and whilst the recipe worked I was disappointed with the overall results. The recipe called for 225 grams of self raising flour AND two teaspoons of baking powder. The cakes rose but the texture is so fragile that you cannot pick a slice up and eat it without it crumbling into tiny pieces. A cake fork is needed to eat it. I don't ever remember having to eat my grannies or my mums VS with a fork. Personally I think there is far too much raising agent. Your thoughts and recipes please.

krlyr

Our standard sponge recipe is to go Xoz of butter, sugar and SR flour, and half as many eggs. So if X was 8oz, you'd use 4 eggs. 12oz, 6 eggs. Bake at 180 (reduce to 160 for fan oven if needed), whack in buttercream and jam once cooled.

marmitepotato

No baking powder tho?

suki1964

Never used baking powder

I was taught that the way to make a Victoria sandwich to rise was you had to beat the air in. So that butter and sugar had to be mousse like before the eggs were added and then the flour ( has to be sifted from a height) needed to be very gently folded in

It's one cake I do prefer to make by hand rather then mixer

wifeforlife

I haven't used baking powder with this cake either

After recently making a few, the best advice I could give you is to only use your electric mixer for the butter and sugar, I add one egg to this then mix by hand, I add 1/3 of the flour then fold it in, I add another egg and mix, then add another 1/3 of flour and fold this in and so on.

The texture has definately improved as I was the same as you at the start, actually I was raging I couldn't get this simple thing right but now I make a cake most weekends.

Anoneemoose

I weigh my eggs without the shell, so if I am making an 8 inch cake about the height you get in Costa and the like, I would weigh 6 eggs (large). Off the top of my head this would be approx 300-330g depending on egg size.

Once I have that weight, I then weigh the same amount of stork (or Aldi equivalent), and caster sugar. Cream them together (I use a kenwood machine). Weigh the same amount of SR flour.

Once the marg and sugar are creamed, I add a couple of eggs and third of flour and mix, repeating until all the eggs and flour are included. Then add a bit of vanilla essence and mix for a further few seconds.

I use 2 tins so separate the mixture into these - already lined (on the bottom) and greased.

Pop in a preheated oven between gas 3&4 and cook for about an hour and 15 mins or until skewer comes out clean. I usually turn the tins round after about an hour. I also put tin foil on the top while cooking as I make cakes as a hobby and they don't 'dome' as much this way, which is best when trying to get a flat, smooth cake top!

This recipe is still quite light, but not as light as some because it needs to stay together for carving etc, if needed. It is also very moist, cuts well and lasts for ages. I also get compliments and repeat orders!!

Edited - I don't use baking powder.

peachyprice

I really don't rate Mary Berry recipes and avoid them if I can. I've had too many disaters.

My go to recipe is:
200g SR flour
200g caster sugar
200g butter
4 eggs
1tsp baking powder
1 tbs milk.
Vanilla essence

I throw it all in at once in my Kenwood and mix it on high until it's smooth, soft and light. I don't faff with weighing eggs or creaming butter and sugar first, it still comes out perfect every time.

marmitepotato

Ah Peachy, throwing stuff in my 'Kenny' is my life's work! Only one teaspoon of baking powder?

Floss

I weigh my eggs in the shell and use Stork SB, caster sugar and SR flour - the same amount of each as the eggs.

Sugar & marg are creamed until very pale, then each egg added with a tbsp of flour, add the rest of the flour and a tsp of vanilla extract and mix on low until all incorporated. That's in my Kenwood.

peachyprice

marmitepotato wrote: »

Ah Peachy, throwing stuff in my 'Kenny' is my life's work! Only one teaspoon of baking powder?

Yes, just the one.

Kenny makes a lovely moist cake with great texture! I use the mixing paddle with the rubber edge if you have one.

marmitepotato

I haven't got the rubber edged mixing thingy, at £27 a pop I can't justify it. Hope they come down in price.