Village show Victoria sponge - no baking powder?

[tillytubby]

Hi I am going to enter our local agricultural show in the Victoria sponge category. I've never done this before but I have made a fair few cakes so I thought it would be fun.
However the entry form says make it to the following recipe:
3 eggs
175g SR flour
175g Marg
175g sugar

No where does it mention baking powder but every recipe I've ever come across including the w.i. and Mary berry always add baking powder.

So my question is, have they made a mistake? Do I add it and hope they won't notice or am I missing some secret trick in the method that makes up for the extra oomph needed?

Next weekend :-(

I love this thread!

Jane Asher recommends spreadable butter, I use lurpak and it works well.

My recipe involves equal weight of eggs/SR flour, butter and sugar so I would be tempted to find eggs weighing 175g if poss!

I beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer much longer than I would ever have thought, probably 5 mins until they're really pale. Then beat the eggs in a jug and add them really slowly whilst continuing with my hand mixer, almost like making mayo. Then very gently and a small quantity at a time, fold in the flour.

I do 25mins @ 165 fan but usually do 4 eggs/225g.

What about half butter half marg (I use Pure if I'm not using butter)? And half the baking powder?

Have you tried different SR flours? I used Doves Farm organic SR at the weekend and it was very good.

Grease the tin with a different fat (e.g. Veg oil). Apparently different fats don't bond together so it should reduce the chance of sticking.

Clover makes a fantastic sponge, surprisingly.

From the photos it looks like you could do with a bit more mixture for those size tins and you'll get a better rise one.

Good luck!

I use the egg weighing method and same flour and sugar.

I went to an agricultural show earlier in the summer that has a Victoria Sponge comp and I know it was really strict about sticking to the recipe and the cakes did all look very similar.

I usually add baking powder but might try the suggestions here for one without

My top tip is to use a metal spoon to fold flour in. And really, do fold, not mix. Lifting mixture, super light touch, keep the air in as much as possible, using a cutting motion with edge of spoon.
Wooden spoon up until that point.

Oh yes,my grandmother used a big metal spoon to 'turn and cut' the flour.

I have read Slubberdegullion's entire thread. The recommendations were, to avoid rack marks & a soggy bottom, place a clean dry tea towel on the rack under the cake. High sift gives a better rise (really high if you can manage it!) I think she used unsalted butter, & SR flour, no extra baking powder.

MARGARINE!!!!!!???????
I'll stick to butter, thanks. I'd rather have that than some baking prize.

Marg makes for a fantastic rise and often lighter than butter. Lots of Mary Berry's recipes call for marg and they come out fantastically.

You stick to butter though if it makes you feel superior

Dame it does, because of the water content. Butter tastes nicer, richer. Marg rises better. You can't win!

I sell cakes to cafe,I can guarantee no one spits them out because I sometimes use marg, in fact they can't get enough of them.

**a cafe

I agree Dame - I use Flora Buttery for my cakes, never had a complaint yet its not butter!

I'm going to an agricultural show this weekend and i was already going to look with interest at the cakes now i'll be looking even harder to see if i can spot yours on the offchance its the same show.

Delia says do not open the oven door for at least 20 mins as the rush of cold air will knock the cake back.

Delia's right and also don't have kitchen door open when it's cooling on the rack.

and this is why I'm entering read

Just a suggestion as my last oven had a problem - are you sure of the oven temp? I had to buy an oven thermometer in the end as mine was much cooler than the dial suggested (though was ancient which didn't help).

Cream the eggs and sugar to a meringue and then add the other ingredients gently and gradually perfect huge sponge everytime

I can't imagine ever baking a cake with marge - what is the point? Just make sure the butter and eggs are room temperature and do an all-in-one in a food processor. No extra baking powder.

Ah ha HS2 I wonder if you will spot it....

I think my method and recipe is fine but I think something is happening when I bake them that keeps ruining the edges on the ones made with butter in the traditional manner. I've tried lowering the oven temperature as I'm wondering if the edges are rising too fast then collapsing. I never check it until 20mins have gone though.
I think realistically in the time I've got left I will do one more practice with half marg half butter and if that doesn't work then I will do the all in one with stork as these are coming out looking perfect (they just don't taste as good)

If it makes you feel better I just spent an hour attempting a lemon chiffon ( I am staunchly a chef not a baker) and realised when in the oven that I used 1/2 a cup less flour than the recipe called for they look so good in the oven but I bet they taste bloody eggy