how can I make a 'light' sponge?

[PinkSwimGoggles]

usually use the 'weigh-the-egg' method and the cake comes out tasty but not as light/moist as I would like.

usually bake at 170 (conventional oven) for 40 min for a 3 egg sponge.

You need a fat less sponge to be really light I think.

American recipes that don't use butter but use buttermilk are consistently much lighter for me

Also 40 minutes is too long. 30 max

but after 30 min the middle is still gooey?

I'm a bit scared of fatless sponge

Do you do the all in one method? I tend to find that doesn't give the lightest results. Creaming the butter and sugar first gets lots of air in.

Put a splash of milk in the mixture to loosen it up

I always use the all in one method and my cakes are (by popular opinion!) Lovely so it's not necessarily that. I put a bit of extra oil or milk in. I don't know if it makes a difference but I also use stork, not butter in my cakes

I mix butter/sugar first.
different sugar?
I often use demerara as I like the taste

Whispers, use flora in place of butter - better as a choc sponge than Victoria sponge, as it does change the taste. And add a splash of milk, and half a teaspoon of baking powder.
Cream for longer than you think.

I use 2oz of Stork, SR flour, sugar, to 1 large egg. Then I always cream the marg and sugar then add the eggs and a couple of tablespoons of the flour. Then stir in the rest of the flour and mix just till combined then bake.

Caster sugar makes a much finer cake.

Yep stork rather than butter, which pains me to say, but it's true. I gained this tip from my professional cake baker mother and have never looked back!

We are a family of cake lovers....have baked loads of cakes for school, bake sales, work etc. We always use caster sugar. The darker sugar is a lovely flavour, but may be causing the issue

Zombie's best friend is the BEST cake maker ever. Her tip is the same as Goldorsilver's mother. Never use butter as it's too heavy. Always use Stork or similar.

It's probably the demerara.

Try caster sugar next time.

If you like the taste try adding some on top while it bakes.

use stork, and caster sugar...the big grains in demerara take longer to cook if that makes sense

and are you using two sandwich tins or one deeper tin? Two eight inch sandwich tins should be done in 25 mins tops...I check before 20 and rarely go more than 2-3 mins more

This is how I make a 7" sandwich cake

1. Weigh 3 eggs. Weigh equal amounts in caster sugar, SR flour and Stork margarine or butter.
2. Add all the ingredients to a bowl, along with 1 tsp baking powder and some vanilla extract.
3. Beat until combined, but don't overbeat or the mixture won't rise properly
4. Place mixture into two greased and lined 7" sandwich tins and bake at 180 degrees (160 deg fan oven) or gas mark 4 for 25 minutes.

This always always works.

All ingredients at room temperature
Beat the egg in bowl that isn't plastic
Use stork or similar
Caster sugar

Thin pans - you don't want to bake a sponge for any more than 15-20 mins so deep sponges are out.

Get oven at the right temp. You have to work quickly

Line your tins - grease and baking paper

Pre sift the flour several times. If your flour is old it won't work. I use plain flour and fresh baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar until they are really fluffy. Pre beat the eggs and add them a tiny bit at a time - you want to avoid the mixture splitting. If it looks like it's splitting add a spoonful of the pre sifted flour

Once the eggs are beaten in it should have a mousse like texture. From now on work fast and no more mechanical mixer!

Fold the sifted flour in gently and don't over mix, then put into tins immediately and bake.

I'm another one that says stork and caster sugar make the lightest cakes. If I'm doing a Victoria sponge I would never use butter, it's just too heavy. I've never had a single complaint, best friend once proclaimed that you an always tell a cake made with proper butter and was shocked when I told her the cake she was eating was a stork cake.

I too love demerara sugar and find it more forgiving in cakes that are supposed to be a bit denser (coffee and walnut cake, chocolate cake).

ok
I use
plain flour + baking powder (as much as the tin tells me to)
sometimes half corn flour
butter
whole eggs
pinch of salt

oh and I use a round spring tin (5 or 6 inch diameter)

Is your baking powder fresh?
Are you overworking the cake? It should be like runny mousse before the flour goes in.

Definitely use stork - butter is too claggy

or maybe I'm getting my inches wrong it's 20 cm diameter.

could I pulverise demerara sugar in spice mill?

thanks all, will have to try lots of your suggestions!

give me yeast and I'm a happy bunny.
I make a mean brioche and other bread.