[Sca-cooks] OOP: Victoria Sponge

[Lisbeth Herr-Gelatt]

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Hi there!

My Mum brought me back (just this AM) a book by Nigella Dawson with the old and new version of the recipe, but it's not in my hands yet. That'll take me a few weeks, and I may need prodding as Pennsic creeps ever-closer.

Meanwhile, I've got another recipe for Victoria Sponge/Sandwich Cake (which is the variety your mother probably came across). I suppose the Name of the recipe threw our doughty Adamantius off the scent. Heh heh. This recipe is as "Victorian" as all those French-named dishes in England are actually "French"...... though to be honest with you an old friend of the family's great-aunt (or somesuch) was actully a cook for Her Royal Majesty at a visit to a country manor, and sponge cakes aren't right out, are just the right sort of thing. I had the chance to take High Tea served upon a blue and white plaid table cloth that had also once held High Tea tea served to the diminutive Queen. That was so totally cool as to defy description. ;)

Any way, this recipe is from: A Good Housekeeping Cookery Compendium, published by the Good Housekeeping Institute, and The Waverly Book Company, Limited, London, a reprint in 1956, originally printed in 1952, and copyright in England by the National Magazine Co. Ltd.  There are actually three recipes in this book for the cake, since there are beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of cooking lessons in it----I am giving you the most advanced version. I'll give you the forward notes in the section as well. I should warn you that there are nearly endless variations of this cake in the book: Standard Victoria Sandwich Cake, Economical Victoria Sandwich Cake, Three-Egg Sandwich Cake, Caramel Sandwich Cake, Lemon Sandwich Cake, Fruit and Cream Sandwich Cake (which I think might be the type you want), Chocolate Sandwich Cakes I and II, Chocolate Chip, Banana, Walnut, Two-color, Silver, Spiced, Orange Coconut, Marshmallow, Date and Nut, Toasted Almond, Chestnut, Peach Cream, Honey, Feather-iced. These are all creamed-batter caked (butter and sugar creamed together, which was a new-ish skill for English housewives in 1950, hence the confusion about sponge versus regular modern cakes). Previously they would have rubbed the butter into the flour with their hands for a heavier regular cake, or gone the real sponge route with the whipped egg whites etc...

I think I should note that if it WAS a sponge, it could be a Hot-milk sponge (the ultra-special spongecake in England at the time of Victoria).  However, that recipe seems to elude me at the moment. I do have, in the book, a number of sponge recipes, so sing out if one of them catches your eye:Sponge Flan, Cherry Sponge Flan, Blackberry and Small Fuit Flans (note that in pre-war England Flan is not a wiggly pudding, but one of the Sponge-type shortcake shells one sees next to the berries in the supermarket here in the US, but on a much larger scale). We've also got Cherry Sponge Ring (not filled) Five-egg sponge (layered and frosted), Genoese Sponge---probably the sponge you're looking for if it IS a sponge you want---a delicate thing requiring a very light hand. Also: Sponge layer cake (three layers filled and frosted), and two sorts of Angel cake, then we have sponge drops, small sponge sandwiches (both really a cookie or small cake type affair), and sugar cones which are really wafers made with a sponge-method.

But the actual recipe from the book:

The forward notes say: These cakes, which are extremely popular, espescially with children, are quickly made and may be presented in many diferent guises, for the flavouring, the filling, and the decoration may all be varied as desired. The Victoria Sandwich Mixture used of rthem is made by the creaming method, as described below (photos are omitted). Tins of various sizes and designs are available for sandwich cakes, but for the following recipes an average-sized 7 inch diameter is used. To ensur ethe cakes utn out easily wihtout breaking, it is advisable, after greaisng the tins, to put a round of grease-proof paper in each.
    Bake the cake until a light brown in colour, and until no imprint  is left when the top of the cake is lightly with the finger-tip. Cool on a wire tray, placing them right-side up to avoid having the top marked with the mesh. When cold, sandwich together with jam or filling,  and decorate if required.


Fruit and Cream Sandwich Cake (referred to as a Victoria Sponge in the Index).
(Note that the picture shows a cake with a naked top surface, except for strawberry garnishes and strewn sugar! Fruit and cream are all inside).

3 oz. butter or margerine
4 oz sugar
2 eggs
Vanilla Essence
6 oz. self0raising flour
Milk to mix
Cream or Mock Cream (?)
Strawberries

Cream fat and sugar and beat in eggs one at a time. Add a few drops of Vanilla.  Sieve flour and add to creamed ingredients, with enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency. Put into two prepared 5- or 6-inch sandwich tins and bake ina moderately hot oven (400 degrees F) for about 30 minutes. When cold, sandwich together with sweetened thick cream or mock cream and crushed strawberries (or raspberries).  Put Sieved Icing sugar on top, or for special occaisions, ice with glace' icing just before  serving, and decorate with choice fresh fruit.

Does that help at all?

Aoife
___original message____

Some guy wrote:
>
> This sounds like something that would either be in Mrs. Beeton, possibly
> Fance's "Student's Technology of Breadmaking and Flour Confectionary",
> maybe Peck's "Art of Fine Baking", perhaps one or two others on my
> shelf.
>
> Let's see what I can find; will try to post later this evening.

Well, okay, I was intrigued. It turns out there's no mention of Victoria
Sponge in Fance's or Peck's books, so Mrs. Beeton is probably the place
to check...

<does so...>

Now. There's a recipe webbed at
http://recipes.alastra.com/cakes/sponge03.html , allegedly a Victoria
Sponge, which appears to me to be pretty close to your basic
American-type cream yellow layer-cake, such as one might make for a
child's birthday, etc.
.....snip......
Adamantius

"History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History
is who we are and why we are the way we are." -David
McCullough

"History is a vast early warning system."-Norman
Cousins

"History is the record of an encounter between character
and circumstance." -Donald Creighton



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