Baking advice

[GnusSitOnCanoes]

DS is turning 6 this week and I need to bake him a birthday cake. I am an exceptionally bad baker, and this is giving me palpitations. He won’t really have much in the way of presents, because deliveries have been badly effected, and of course no party. So I would like to manage something at least edible!

He’s asked, bless him, for a Victoria sponge cake (thank Christ it’s not something more complex!) so please pass on any foolproof recipes and/or baking wisdom so I can avoid screwing this up. Thank you!

Weigh 3 eggs then however much they weigh you use the same weight of butter, sugar and self raising flower. Dash of vanilla essence if you have it.

Cream the butter and sugar add the splash of vanilla essence if using
And one egg at a time and beat in between each addition. If it looks like it’s curdling add a spoon of the weighed flour
Once all eggs are beaten in and the flour and fold in

Divide the mix between 2 cake tins and put in a preheated oven 180degrees gas 4 for 25-30 mins or until a skewer poked in comes out clean.
When cool sandwich together with jam and either whipped cream or butter cream
Enjoy.

@appiandterri - thank you. Any tips to avoid the sponge coming out rubbery or dry? (I seem to specialize in dry.)

Are you maybe cooking it too long so it’s drying out?

Hi OP try BBC food Victoria Sponge recipe. I have tried lots of their recipes and all have been a success 😘

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/victoriasponge_13555

I always do the Delia Smith all in one sponge method. It's absolutely foolproof

Here you go

You can do 4oz or 8oz version if you want it bigger

Completely different idea.

I HATE cake.

My dad always made me a special chocolate crispies cake. So melted mars bars, rice crispie tray bake type style, in a cake tin, with a candle. He got so good at it I had tractors and all sorts eventually.

This has become a thing, we had a special chocolate crispie cake at our wedding, and christening of Dd.

Just a different idea.

Oh I'm sorry, I misread and thought you were doing Victoria sponge, not that he had asked for that. Ignore all that

This recipe has never let me down & makes a really soft delicious sponge.

8oz stork
8oz caster sugar

Cream together really well with wooden spoon until you can harldly hear the sugar scraing on the bowl

Add 4 medium eggs & best really well (beat in don't stir)

Sieve in 8oz self raising flour & gently fold until mixed in fully (again don't stir harshly try to fold)

Pre-heat oven at least 20mins before starting the mixture. 180° for fan oven. Baking time i'm not sure of as i just keep looking to see but try 12mins, first. Don't keep opening the oven. Prod a cocktail stick in the middle & if it comes out clean it's done. The sponge will bounce back slightly when you press on top too. Don't bake for too long as that's when it will go hard.

*scraping

Delias all in one sponge for the simplest way, check 5 minutes for the stated cooking time as ovens vary and dry cake is usually just over baked.

If you have the option turn off the fan in your oven, all my bakes turn out better without it.

150g self raising flour sifted
150g baking butter (stork or shops own)
150g caster sugar
3 eggs

Oven 160 degrees on a fan assisted oven

If you have a mixer put all the ingredients in and whisk until really smooth. I like to do it for about 4-5 minutes.

If by hand, sugar and butter and mix well. Add the eggs then sift in the flour in. Once mixed in give a good beat for 3-4 minutes.

Split between cake tins with greaseproof paper and bake for at least 20 minutes before checking. Then 7 minutes at a time until suitably golden and ready.

Leave to cool.

not a recipe per se, but my mum used to bake my birthday cake in a round tin and then she cut the cooled down cake into squares and built a train. the rounded parts from the sides were the roofs of the carriages, the wheels were oreos. i absolutely LOVED this cake, its a real vivid memory.
there was no icing, just clever cutting.

Im sure Pinterest has lots of techniques for something similar.

If it's usually dry you're probably either over baking it or your oven is hotter than it lets on.

If you do make Victoria sponge then make sure the butter is soft but not melted. If you haven't got greaseproof or baking parchment then rub a bit of butter in the tins then sprinkle over a half teaspoon of flour. Shake the tin and tap the bottom of it to spread the flour over the butter to prevent the cakes from sticking. I say this because I skipped the flour step last week - laziness, no excuse - and had to pry the cake from the tin.

Sieve the flour. Yes it's one more thing to wash up but it will make a difference to the finished product.

The finished cakes should just start to pull away a little from the edges of the tins and there should be a tiny bit of give if you touch the top of the cake with a finger.

If the first cakes you make aren't a success you can always cut them into squares and add fruit and custard as pudding rather than cake.

Thank you all: that’s all so helpful and I love the train idea too. I’m going to work through the links and tips above and make a plan. (I know this seems a bit ridiculous for what is a fairly simple sponge, but I really want to get it right!)

If you've got stork (or similar soft margarine) you can do the all in one method rather than creaming the butter and sugar and adding eggs etc. I've done all in one with soft butter before but it comes out a bit heavier.

Coming back to say I made it, and it was fine. Nothing that would win bake-off, but enough to make DS happy! Thanks so much everyone.