[Sca-cooks] victorian sponges

[Elysant1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/2/01 2:39:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
johnna007h at netscape.net writes:

<<  would guess that there are about as many variations
  of a "victorian sponge" as there are US versions of "brownies." >>

I'm way behind on my list reading right now, but did want to join in this
thread discussion before it ended. :-)

O certainly have heard of the Victoria Sandwich, and know that there are
indeed variations on the recipe from area to area and cookbook to cookbook.

The recipe I learned in (high) school cookery in Wales used slightly more
flour to the fat and sugar proportions - 5 oz SR flour, 4 oz castor sugar, 4
oz margarine (or butter) and 2 eggs.  a little vanilla extract, a little
salt, and a teaspoon of cold water per egg.

The Victoria Sandwich is touted as a centerpiece cake for "high tea" and is
cooked at 375 degrees F until a toothopick comes out clean from the center.
The traditional way to make it is by first creaming the butter and sugar
together, then slowly adding the beaten eggs (add them a little at a time to
prevent curdling - BTW I'm not sure what significance curdling the cake
batter to not curdling it makes (anyone?) ) and then the sifted flour is
folded in.  The resulting batter can be put into either two cake tins -
greased and dusted with flour - some say line the tins also with greased
greaseproof paper, or it can be put into one tin, similarly prepared.  When
it is put into the tins it is important (so it rises "flat" vs domed) that
one insures that the cake batter in the center of the tin is lower than then
amounts around the sides of the tin (dips down in the middle).

Once cooked and cooled on a wire rack, the horizontally split cake (if one
tin used), or the two seperately cooked cakes can be sandwiched together with
jam (usually in our neck of the woods strawberry vs raspberry is
traditionally used), then the top of the cake is dusted with icing sugar.  I
have seen a pretty pattern be created with this icing sugar on top by placing
a paper doily on top of the cake prior to dusting it with the icing sugar,
and then carefully removing the doily so that a "snowflake" or "lacey"
pattern remains.  Sometimes I have seen this cake served with both both jam
and cream in the middle - the cream being either fresh whipped cream, or
"butter icing" which is made from butter (or margarine and icing sugar and a
little milk or cream and some vanilla extract - all whipped together to make
a "cream".  I've also seen the cream or butter icing put on top of the cake.

I've made this cake many times, and have found that it is a delicious light
sponge.  Incidentally the recipe didn't do too well at altitude when I lived
in El Paso TX - the flour didn't rise as well :-(.  Usually these days to
ensure a moist result I use a 9 inch pan and double the ingredient amounts
listed above.

We were taught that the above cake proportions and recipe are really the
starting point for cakes of all sorts - this is the "basic recipe" used for
this type of "creaming in" method of cake making - different to a sponge or
"rubbing in" cake making method.  It makes an excellent birthday cake also.
:-)

Last note.  The Victoria sandwich cake can also be made by an "all in one"
method which gives a slightly heavier cake, but it quicker and easier and
found in some more modern cookbooks (don't have a quote sorry).  Basically
one would put all the ingredients in a bowl together and just mix it all up
and then cook it as above.  My mother often made it this way to save time
when she was baking a lot of things.

Elysant

Hope this helps.