Victoria sponge sandwich cake

[Albie_baking]

Hi,
Yesterday I baked my first Victoria sponge cake and I have a few questions regarding my results. I should have taken a pic, because it looked delicious.

I was a little underwhelmed with the final product though. I only let the cakes cool 20 min before adding the filling, because I was in a rush to go to a dinner party. The. I placed the completed sandwich in the fridge for about 10 min. When I pulled it out the whipped cream was pouring out the sides , but still cool. We drove to the party with air conditioning on to keep it cool and placed it in the fridge of our guest home. Finally about an hour later when I served the cake the inside looked under baked. The cake was dense and not spongy. I thought i failed, but someone heated their cake a little in the microwave and the cake became spongy and delicious.

I know I haven't given all the details of baking, but because of the whipped cream I assumed the cake should be ok in the fridge. Does it sound like my cake was under baked or does this type of cake get dense in the fridge and need to be warned up before serving ?

Any advice will be appreciated. Everyone enjoyed the heated version of the cake and their was nothing left, but I wasn't expecting the results I got.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Hi,
Yesterday I baked my first Victoria sponge cake and I have a few questions regarding my results. I should have taken a pic, because it looked delicious.

I was a little underwhelmed with the final product though. I only let the cakes cool 20 min before adding the filling, because I was in a rush to go to a dinner party. The. I placed the completed sandwich in the fridge for about 10 min. When I pulled it out the whipped cream was pouring out the sides , but still cool. We drove to the party with air conditioning on to keep it cool and placed it in the fridge of our guest home. Finally about an hour later when I served the cake the inside looked under baked. The cake was dense and not spongy. I thought i failed, but someone heated their cake a little in the microwave and the cake became spongy and delicious.

I know I haven't given all the details of baking, but because of the whipped cream I assumed the cake should be ok in the fridge. Does it sound like my cake was under baked or does this type of cake get dense in the fridge and need to be warned up before serving ?

Any advice will be appreciated. Everyone enjoyed the heated version of the cake and their was nothing left, but I wasn't expecting the results I got.

It wouldn’t be the refrigeration. The number one cause of the gooey center is improper creaming.

Beating at too high a speed and starting with butter that is too warm.

You want to start with cold butter and do not beat above medium speed on a stand mixer. See video link below.

I know this is contrary to every recipe out there, and cookbook but trust me this is the proper way to cream butter.

In culinary school they teach you to cream butter at 65°F (18°C). So I’m not sure why recipes and cookbooks instruct bakers to use room temperature butter.


https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/12/cookie-science-creaming-butter-sugar.html


Other tips that may be helpful.


Eggs: one egg at a time and make sure each egg is fully incorporated into the creamed butter before adding the next egg

Sieve: It’s important that the flour is sieved when added. Victoria sponge is not really a sponge cake it is a pound cake. So if it’s not mixed properly it is going to be dense and go in the center.

Oven temperature: preheat your oven for at least 20 minutes, then check the oven temperature with an oven thermometer to ensure the correct temperature


Testing for doneness: The internal temperature of the cake should be 200°F (93°C) to (205°F (96°C).


If you do not have an instant read thermometer, lightly press the top of the cake. If the indentation remains the cake is not baked the thoroughly. If the indentation springs back most of the way, the cake should be done. But insert a toothpick in the center of the cake to test.


Cooling: cool the cakes in the pan for approximately 20 minutes. Then remove them from the pan and finish cooling on the rack. I preferred elevate my rack to allow for good air circulation. Simply place drinking glasses of the same height under each corner of the rack.

 

[Becky]

I'm glad to hear everyone enjoyed the cake even if you weren't completely happy with how it turned out! There's not much I can add to the good advice above, so let us know how your next one turns out