Sponge cake help

[YeahThatsTheBadger]

I used to make a sponge using the creaming butter and sugar together method but it was never light/fluffy or all the things a good sponge should be. It tasted nice enough though, although I suspect that might have more to do with copious amounts of cream and jam in the middle!

I found a recipe for a fatless sponge and it is everything a sponge should be.

BUT my 3 year old DD wants me to make her birthday cake and I'm wondering if a delicate fatless sponge will hold up to the cutting(pointy ears to make a cat cake) and the icing on top.

So, will a fatless sponge still be ok? If not, any suggestions for how to improve my Victoria sponge recipe(2 eggs and equal weight for other ingredients)?

Thanks.

no it won't work at all- it will collapse.
if you're going to be carving, cutting or adding lots of fondant icing you'd be better off with a madeira cake.
to improve your victoria sponge- are you using the old fashioned method (creaming butter and sugar first then adding eggs and lastly flour) or the all in one? Are you ok with using margarine or does it have to be butter?

IME for the best results use all in one method with extra fine sponge flour if you can get hold of it (otherwise just sieve normal SR flour twice) and Olivio rather than butter.
HTH

On the road and i have memory like a sieve when it comes to remembering quantities Try this recipe, www.bakingmad.com/m/recipes/cake-recipes/victoria-sponge I've used this site for other things and it's good. I'd make it up to a 4 egg recipe if it were me the layers just dont seem thick enough otherwise. Recently I've returned to good old Stork for my cake baking, works great for buttercream to. The secret I find is not to rush the beating phase so you get as much air in as possible, at least 5 mins if not 10. Good luck, I would NEVER go for fat free

Yeah Madeira cake. I made one for my ds last week and it cut really well into a car shape. I used a big square tin and quantities as follows:
140z caster sugar 14oz marg creamed
7 eggs
1lb plain flour
3 tsps baking powder
Vanilla essence.
Added water at the end to make it thinner consistency.
Baked it for about 45/50 mins at 180 and covered with foil halfway thro to stop the top burning.

Good luck hope it turns out well; halve the quantities if you dont want to be eating sponge cake for a week like I was...yum!

Second the stork for baking I always use that but proper butter for the buttercream

www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/8020863/Baking-the-best-cakes-ever.html

good tips on here re cake baking.
I'll second what woman from WI and others on here have said , you get better results not using butter. I don't use stork, just whatever decent soft marg is on special offer. If you have to use butter then try one of the spreadable ones with vegetable oil in.

though i will try stork in sponge itself now so many have suggested it!

To improve your normal sponge you need

Greased and lined tins

6oz stork and 6oz caster sugar
Cream in mixer til very pale and light
Add 3 eggs one at a time
Slowly mix in 6oz sr flour and finally water to make it less thick prob about 3-4 tablespoons. Oh and vanilla extract too.

Bake at 175 for 25 mins et voila

Thank you for all the replies.

Hmmm, so stork is the way to go then. I will give it a go for the next Victoria sponge.

I'm only cutting two triangles for ears with one circular cake Purple but I will listen to the baking gods and avoid a fatless sponge. Will give the Madeira a go instead.

Thank you for all the suggestions

i have recently gone over to Stork, victoria sponges have never been better!!

a whisked fatless sponge is lovely but not sturdy enough, it'll crumb everywhere and be a nightmare!

I use 3 eggs and same weight of sugar, stork and sr flour. Cream butter and sugar then add eggs then add flour and a few tbsp of water.

I use the same weights as ScariestFairyByFar, but add 1.5 tsp baking powder and bung all the ingredients in the bowl together. A quick mix with an electric whisk - about 45 seconds and you are ready to go. The all-in-one method is far more reliable then the creaming method and takes a fraction of the time to make. Just make sure you don't overmix as it will work the gluten in the flour and the cake won't rise.

I think often people fall down using the creaming method because they don't beat the butter and sugar sufficiently to start with, the eggs are added too quickly and most important of all they don't fold the flour in with a metal spoon, but stir it in with a wooden spoon. It is important to fold the flour in so you don't knock the air out that you have beaten in.

Another point to remember is to make sure the eggs are at room temperature and not straight from the fridge.

Hi all, i use the creaming method for all my decorated cakes, however i beat the marg and sugar for at least 10 mins, until white and then beat each egg in with spoon of flour really well, and fold flour in with a spatula, always always turn out well risen and perfect each time.

I do exactly like Purple (did the creaming by hand till I got my first Kenwood!) but add milk rather than water at the end.
And proper butter for buttercream.

Oh yes, i'm the same would not be without my stand mixer, really dont know how i managed before.