How do I move on from a Victoria sponge?!

[littlem133]

I am horrific at cooking but so desperate to be able to bake. Over the years I've followed various recipes and it's still hit or miss as to whether it's edible! Someone recently gave me the tip of weighing my eggs and matching the weight with flour, sugar and butter which worked perfectly (on more than one occasion!) I want to move on now. If I want to add banana for example can I just add banana or do I need to change the amount of the original ingredients?

Banana cake is usually a loaf type cake rather than a victoria sponge type.

Here's Mary Berrys recipe and go from there

A banana loaf is usually heavier and a different texture due to the bananas. Give it a go

Thank you. I shall give it a go this morning as we're stuck in the house. What about adding other flavours or ingredients to a plain sponge?

I am in no way a baker - I just usually follow a recipe (and usually Mary Berry) and it all works out fine.

On that link I gave you - I also saw this one...........which looks really nom nom nom

I wonder if you can use banana powder, some health food shops sell it.

If you want to add flavour to a Victoria sponge the easiest one to make is chocolate so take out a big heaped spoon of flour when you weigh it and replace it with cocoa powder. Then replace the jam with chocolate spread and keep the buttercream.

You can do the same with coconut but if the mixture seems a bit stiff add a dash of milk at the end.

You could also add some lemon zest to your basic sponge recipe, mix lemon juice with icing sugar for the glaze. You will have a nice lemon cake.

So I can replace flour with powder?

Pretty much. A copy of Delia's Classic Cookery Course explains a variety of cakes well.
You have to balance the powder with the binding agent (eggs), liquid and raising agent.

You can do a lemon drizzle cake with that method of making a sponge. Grated the lemon zest in with the batter. Juice the lemon and add to 90g of icing sugar and I heat in the microwave to make more syrupy. When cake is baked, poke holes all over it right down to the bottom and pour over the syrup. Its my families fave cake and I make it lots.

You could do the basic batter and add almond extract and some halved glace cherries.

As someone has already said replace approx 50g of the flour with cocoa powder for a chocolate cake.

I did an experiment which worked with the basic batter. I put a mix of dark sugar and cinnamon in the bottom of my lined baking tin and put on halved plums (you could try sliced apple or pears) poured over the batter and baked. It takes a little longer, just keep testing and popping back in the oven for 8 mins until cooked. When turned out the spice fruit mix is on the top. Its particularly nice warm with custard.

Another good cake which is a different method but always works out well is carrot cake. Lovely and moist and very tasty.

Baking is a science rather than an art. Follow any recipe TO THE LETTER and you can't go far wrong (usually).
You can alter amounts of your Victoria sponge recipe to get Madeira sponge.

Little, have a look at the Bero baking website. All the recipes are free and there are pages of advice re how to bake and troubleshooting advice too. It takes you through various methods and advises re variations on recipes.

This is one of the best baking books I own-NOTHING has failed from it yet!

NoStraightEdges - I got that book some years ago, flicked through it and threw it back on the shelf.

Whenever I want a recipe,I generally look on the internet and had forgotten all about that book.

Based on your recommendation, think I may get it off the shelf again!

Mary Berry has a recipe for a 'Crunchy Top lemon loaf cake' which is Extremely to make, all-in-one method , uses soft margarine instead of butter which gives it amazing lightness. It can also be made as a round cake. It's in the Baking book.
Or you can try different citrus flavours eg orange and lime .

www.recipecircus.com/recipes/gilly/CAKESandPIES/Crunchy_Top_Lemon_Cake.html

Muffin Im quite an experienced baker and poo-pooed the book when I was given it. However, I had lost my butter icing recipe and got it from there. And tried a couple of other recipes and now it's my favourite book! It's dog eared and pages are stuck together but I love it!

Wow. Thanks so much! I made the banana cake today, in cup cakes as I find it easier with the kids, and they went down a treat! There's lot for me to sit down and read through later. I know cookings a science which is why I get so frustrated coz I don't know the rules! If I can learn the basics I can build on it.

I've bought that book!

Great stuff OP I love the focaccia in the book and the lemon drizzle couldn't be easier. I'll be making the death by chocolate out of it for ds's birthday next week and the pastry recipes are spot on too.

If you want to try something amazing, make the choux pastry-it's much easier than you think and wows the crowd!

Choux pastry?!? Maybe week 2!!