Baking the Perfect Sponge Cake

A Recipe for a Light and Tasty Victoria Sponge

Nov 3, 2008 Jen Syrkiewicz

Victoria Sponge is a versatile and simple cake to bake, yet remains at the top of the list as the nation's favourite.

While it is arguably the easiest cake to whip up, many people find that if certain factors aren’t perfect when baking the sponge, things can go wrong. The ideal cake should be moist and fluffy, with a golden appearance and a spongy texture. Often, however, cakes can become heavy if they method is not followed, leaving a stodgy or dry texture and a visually disappointing finish.

The principal rule to follow for the cake is speed. By moving through the method at a good tempo, the cook will retain much of the air that has been incorporated in the cake, making it light while it rises to perfection.

Sieving the flour is a key element of producing a great sponge, as this also helps to incorporate air. It is also useful to keep eggs at room temperature, and make sure the butter is also soft and easy to manipulate before incorporating in to the other ingredients.

The following recipe is a very basic but effective method for producing a perfect Victoria Sponge, every time.

Ingredients

6oz (175g) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 large eggs (room temperature)
60z (175g) of soft butter (room temperature)
6oz (175g) caster sugar
½ a teaspoon of vanilla essence
Icing sugar to dust

Method

In a large bowl, sieve the flour and baking powder, keeping the sieve high to get as much air in as possible
Add all the other cake ingredients (except the icing sugar) to the bowl
With an electric hand whisk, mix all the ingredients until they form a smooth mixture
Divide the mixture between two greased and lined cake tins. Level the mixture and place the tins on the centre shelf of the oven.
Cook for 30-35 minutes. Don’t open the oven door as they are cooking, as this may make the cakes fall.
Remove them from the oven, then wait about five minutes before turning them out on to a wire cooling rack.
Leave to cool completely, then add the preferred filling and dust the top with icing sugar .

Modifying the Recipe

Though it is traditional to layer the cake with jam and buttercream, there are a number of ways that a cake can be personalised according to the cook’s own preferences. Try some of the following:

Adding in fresh cream and fruit to the centre
Adding in powdered ginger or cinnamon to the mixture when sieving
Using lemon extract instead of vanilla
Adding cocoa to make a chocolate sponge cake
Making individual cup cakes rather than one large cake.

Cakes are versatile and easy to make – explore with a number of ingredients to find the best possible combination.

The copyright of the article Baking the Perfect Sponge Cake in Recipes is owned by Jen Syrkiewicz. Permission to republish Baking the Perfect Sponge Cake in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.