Baking

[Roy Fox]

I have only started baking recently and I have just baked a Victoria Sponge cake, I find that the cake is not very spongy, what have I done wrong, the result is very tasty but could be more fluffy, someone please help.
Regards to all
Roy

 

[Becky]

Welcome to the forum Roy!

A Victoria Sponge cake is a great place to start with baking. Without seeing your recipe or knowing what you did it's hard to say exactly what went wrong, but here's how I would approach it.

First off, have all your ingredients at room temperature. Cream the butter and the sugar together until they are light and fluffy, then add the eggs one by one until well combined. Then sieve in your dry ingredients and mix together until you have a smooth batter - once you add the flour you do not want to overwork it, as you will build up the gluten and make the cake dry and heavy (this may be where you went wrong). Just mix it until smooth but no more. Bake according to the recipe.

Hope this helps! Let us know how you get on

 

[Roy Fox]

Hi Becky, many thanks for your speedy reply,I was having trouble getting the flour to mix, I wonder if a little milk before I start to add the flour might help,
I am sure that was a little dry prior o the flour being added, will keep what you have suggested in mind.
Best Regards
Roy

 

[Becky]

Can you share the recipe here? It shouldn't be dry before you add the dry ingredients. How are you mixing it - by hand, with an electric whisk, or with a mixer?

Edit: This is a good video which shows the approach I described

 

[Roy Fox]

Hi Becky, many thanks for your speedy reply,I was having trouble getting the flour to mix, I wonder if a little milk before I start to add the flour might help,
I am sure that was a little dry prior o the flour being added, will keep what you have suggested in mind.
Best Regards
Roy

Hi Becky, many thanks for your speedy reply,I was having trouble getting the flour to mix, I wonder if a little milk before I start to add the flour might help,
I am sure that was a little dry prior o the flour being added, will keep what you have suggested in mind.
Best Regards
Roy

225 g butter
225 g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
225 g self raising flour
3 ml vanilla

 

[Roy Fox]

225 g butter
225 g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
225 g self raising flour
3 ml vanilla

Ps started with a stand mixer, but was getting nowhere, so I changed to a electric hand mixer.

 

[-Daniel-]

That's the recipe and ratio I have always used for a Victoria sponge, using the method in the video. I've only ever had a problem once, and that was due to my awful oven

 

[Roy Fox]

That's the recipe and ratio I have always used for a Victoria sponge, using the method in the video. I've only ever had a problem once, and that was due to my awful oven

Hi Daniel, thanks for your reply, I can safely say that my oven is fairly accurate, it is the selection dial, that is not marked in finer segments, say you choose 150c the next Mark is a dot somewhere about 175c, but I can check with a oven thermometer, but I do appreciate the reply.
Best Regards
Roy

 

[Becky]

@Roy Fox have you watched the video, and if so how does it tally with what you did?

 

[Roy Fox]

@Roy Fox have you watched the video, and if so how does it tally with what you did?

Hi Becky
Yes, it is more or less the same,it is a video I have seen YouTube before, one I have watched is from Paul Hollywood, who uses all in one bowl , and I must say that it looks a lot less complicated, might have to give that a go next week, right now I am making my recipe of Spaghetti Bolognese, now this one meal I can make.
Best Regards
Roy