[Sca-cooks] OOP: Victoria Sponge Cake

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir wrote:
>
> I seem to have deleted the recipe you posted and can't compare so here is
> the complete recipe from the facsimilie of Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household
> Management, originally published in 1861:
>
> "Victoria Sandwiches
> 1491.  Ingredients: - 4 eggs; their weight in pounded sugar, butter, and
> flour; 1/4 saltspoonful of salt, a layer of any kind of jam or marmalade.
> Mode: - Beat the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour and pounded sugar;
> stir these ingredients well together, and add the eggs, which should be
> previously thoroughly whisked. When the mixture has been well beaten for
> about 10 minutes, butter a Yorkshire-pudding tin, pour in the batter, and
> bake it in a moderate oven for 20 minutes. Let it cool, spread one half of
> the cake with a layer of nice preserve, place over it the other half of the
> cake, press the pieces slightly together, and then cut it into long
> finger-pieces; pile them in crossbars on a glass dish, and serve.
> Time. - 20 minutes. Average cost, 1s, 3d.
> Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time."

Here's the similar version from my copy...


Victoria Sandwiches

        Ingredients. -- 4 eggs, their weight in caster sugar, in butter,
and in
flour, a pinch of salt, a layer of any kind of jam or marmalade.
        Mode. -- Beat the butter to a cream, add the flour, salt and sugar,
stir these ingredients well together, and add the eggs, which should be
previously whisked stiff. When the mixture has been well beaten for
about ten minutes, butter a sponge tin, pour in the batter, and bake in
a moderate oven for 20 minutes. Let it cool, cut it in two, and spread
one layer of the cake with a nice preserve; press the other half on top,
then cut it into long finger pieces; pile them in cross-bars on a glass
dish, and serve.
        Time. -- 20 minutes. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.


>
> >From this description it seems clear to me that Victoria sandwich(es) is the
> original name, since the cake is cut into small "sandwiches" and served in a
> similar manner.

Unless we find something earlier, I agree, but I don't really see it as
any kind of shift from orthodoxy to refer to the batter or the
unfinished cake before it gets put into trifle or Lamingtons or some
such as Victoria sponge. It's kind of similar to referring to pate a
choux as cream puff paste because that is a common use among
English-speakers. The fact that it is also used for eclairs,
croquambouche, quenelles, and various other things is pretty much
irrelevant. Similarly, I wouldn't worry much about calling it Victoria
sponge even if it is in the form of sandwiches.


 The usual story is that the cake got its name because the
> Queen used to serve it at afternoon tea parties (NOT high tea, mind you,
> "there is Tea and Tea"; as Mrs Beeton says - High tea is really a "tea
> dinner", afternoon tea is a more dainty affair). However, these tea parties
> are supposed to have been held at the Queen's residence at the Isle of Wight
> after Prince Albert died. Since he died the same year Mrs Beeton's book was
> published, this can't be the reason for the name.

Maybe not. On the other hand, I find it hard to believe Queen Victoria
never entertained anybody for tea prior to the death of her husband, and
if she did, there's probably no especially good reason to think little
sponge sandwiches might not have been served. This is probably along the
lines of the Captain Wenburg story: in the face of unexplained natural
phenomena, it is necessary to construct mythology to explain it.

Adamantius
--
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com

"It was so blatant that Roger threw at him.  Clemens gets away with
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let him get away with it, it's going  to continue." -- Joe Torre, 9/98