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T
he Victoria Sponge Cake gained popularity during the reign of Queen Victoria. A quintessential English tea
time treat, this cake is sandwiched together with raspberry jam and has a delicate dusting of caster sugar on the
top. One would encounter a Victoria Sponge or a Victorian Sandwich, as it is also known, in most tea rooms in
England. It is also known as the Madeira Cake in the UK.
It was created as a sweet treat to be served at tea time, which was a new concept at the time. In the USA, it is known as
the Butter or Pound cake.
There are a number of variations to this cake, such as: Fruit Cake, Marble Cake, Cup Cake and Chocolate Cake. It is
the base for many desserts too.The eggs, flour, sugar and butter should be of equal weight, with the eggs being weighed
in their shells.
Here are a few recipes to tickle the palate:
ingredients
3 e
ggs - beaten
175g butter
175g brown sugar
175g flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp granulated white sugar (for caramel syrup)
100g chopped dry fruit soaked in brandy
¼ cup candied peel chopped finely
Grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon
½ level tsp ground ginger
½ level tsp ground cinnamon
½ level tsp ground clove
½ level tsp nutmeg
4 tbsp brandy
Method
1. Mix the granulated white sugar with ½ cup of water and make
caramelised syrup.
2. Cream butter and brown sugar till light; add the golden syrup.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Add the dry ingredients, sieved earlier, alternating with the
caramelised syrup.
5. Grease a 1 litre pudding basin with butter. Cut a circle of
greaseproof paper and foil about 1’’ longer than the diameter of
the basin.
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared basin and cover with
greaseproof paper and foil. Secure with string.
7. Put basin into a large saucepan half filled with boiling water.
Cover and steam for 1½ - 2 hrs. Top with more boiling water
from time to time as the water evaporates.
8. Remove the pudding basin from the pan. Leave to cool. Remove
greaseproof paper and foil and turn out the pudding onto a dish.
9. Warm some brandy, pour it over the pudding and ignite. When
flames subside, serve with
brandy butter
.
Brandy Butter
ingredients
50g butter
50g caster sugar
4 tbsp brandy
Method
Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the brandy, a tablespoon at
a time. Leave to harden.
~ Priya Shekhawat
Corramore T.E.
ingredients
50g butter
50g brown sugar
1 can pineapple chunks, drained well
6 cherries, drained well
Victorian sandwich mixture made with 4 eggs
The Sponge Cake
Steamed Christmas Pudding
ingredients for a basic Victoria Sponge cake
225g caster sugar
225g softened butter
4 eggs (weighed in their shells) 225g
225g flour
2 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
For the Filling:
½ cup good quality strawberry or
raspberry jam
½ cup cream
Icing sugar to dust the top of the cake
Preparation Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180
ᵒ
C
or 350
ᵒ
F
.
2. Grease two 8” sandwich tins and line the base with greased paper.
3. Beating by hand with a wooden spoon or using an electric mixer,
cream together the butter and the caster sugar until the mixture is
light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs a little at a time beating well after each addition.
5. Sift and lightly fold in half the flour and baking powder with a metal
spoon or spatula, then lightly fold in the rest of the flour.
6. Add the milk and vanilla extract.
7. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and level the tops with
a knife. Bake both on the same shelf of the oven for about 20 – 25
minutes.
8. When the cakes are well risen and firm to the touch, turn them out
on a wire rack to cool.
To make the filling, beat the cream until fluffy and thick. Gradually beat
in icing sugar and vanilla extract. Spread this mixture over the bottom
of one of the sponges.Then spread the jam over the bottom of the other
and sandwich them together.
Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Method
1. Grease an 8”round tin and line the base with greased paper.
2. Melt the butter and pour it into the tin. Sprinkle
brown sugar evenly over it.
3. Arrange the pineapple chunks on top of the brown
sugar in a flower pattern and place a cherry in the
centre of each flower.
4. Spoon the cake mixture carefully into the tin and bake
for 30 – 35 minutes or until well risen, golden and firm
to the touch. Cool in the tin on a wire rack for a few
minutes, then turn the cake out onto the rack to cool
completely.
5. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.
Five helpful tips on Baking
1. To bake a perfect cake, start with high quality
ingredients because one is unable to taste and correct
while preparing it.
2. Pay special attention to the size of the dish, the
measurements and the temperature of all ingredients,
including the oven temperature.
3. Pay attention also to the physical states to induce
while stirring cream and folding.
4. One will learn to recognise the proper ‘look’ of well
creamed butter and eggs; of batter ready for the oven;
and other critical stages in cake-making entirely
through practice.
5. Invest in a good quality oven.
Pineapple Upside Down Pudding
14 January 2016
January 2016 15