Is Mary Berry also wrong about Victoria sandwich cake?

[UntamedWisteria]

DS has been trying his hand at a Victoria sponge.

I got alarmed when he started putting all the ingredients in the bowl together... instead of creaming the butter & sugar then adding the eggs then the flour, as I was taught to do 40+ years ago and have been doing since.

He said "But Mary Berry does it this way." So I checked 3 different MB books, and lo & behold he is right!

Will report back when it's out of the oven & we've tasted it ...

Can anyone else vouch for this method?

Yes, I also make her cupcakes. I learnt a good lesson yesterday.
Instead of sticking to my simple and trusted cookie recipe, I used one online for the “most amazing blah blah”
I had to cream sugar and eggs then egg added and whisk until ribbons blah blah.
All much harder. Guess what. Complete disaster.
My last plain flour, wasted. My son, asking about the cookies we had taken ages to make together.

Lesson learnt, just because a recipe is more complicated, doesn’t mean it is better.

Anyone has experienced this? And gone back to the simple yet better one?
What a fool.

@ineedaholidaynow you can make self raising flour from plain flour.
I am out of plain flour now 😔
I hate having to melt / soften the butter. I always end up with it too hard or to runny

Anyone has experienced this?

Yes. I made a red velvet cake this weekend, and must have overwhisked the creamed mixture before adding the flour. It rose and then sank in the middle. It tasted OK though.

I cream butter and sugar first from force of habit, and because I can taste extra baking powder. Softening the butter in the microwave makes it easy. I whip the eggs well before adding them with a little flour as pp have said.

I still cream the butter and sugar because I enjoy doing it, then I add the eggs and flour in one go. Always lovely. I have some lively cherry and berry jam, I may make cake today.

I’m not a fan of Mary Berry’s because of her love for marge.

I always do it separately because you can make the kids take ages beating the sugar and butter together, telling them it has to look “almost white” and it keeps them busy for longer

Ahhh @Ginfordinner it is so annoying, same reason I stick to the same dishes at my favourite Thai restaurant, I changed once and regretted it ever since 😂

I hate having to melt / soften the butter. I always end up with it too hard or to runny

One of the reasons I use tub Stork. Everyone loves my cakes.

I have two daughters and Ive taught them the creaming method because it’s how I was taught to bake cakes and I’m a purist 🙄.

I only tried all in one once and it wasn’t quite right.

Another one here with their Home Ec teacher turning in her grave!

One of the reasons I use tub Stork. Everyone loves my cakes.
I might give it a try, not sure what Stork is!
I like it when a cake wants oil, so easy!

I can’t stand cakes made with stork. I know lots of people say you can’t taste it but I can, I think it’s vile There’s a garden centre near us that has the most delicious looking cakes and dd and I ordered and slice each and bit into them and we both had to spit it out (into a tissue!) as we knew immediately they’d been made with stork. (We did ask politely afterwards out of interest and we were right). I use Clover to make cakes with as i much prefer the taste but each to their own!

I made a birthday cake this week and had to use what we had in the cupboard: no baking powder.

All the all-in-one recipes used baking powder so I did it using the creaming method to try and get air in.

I don’t care if Stork makes the lightest sponge, I view margarine as intrinsically disgusting stuff, so use butter!

Does all-in-one work without the extra baking powder?

No, the all in one depends on baking powder for the rise.

If I’m making a large cake and using a stand mixer I will always use the all in one, and try to use spreadable butter (eg lurpak spreadable) over real butter as it comes out lighter. I can’t use marg because bleurgh. If I’m doing something smaller I’ll probably use an electric hand whisk and cream it. The all in one is especially good with a stand mixer

What the fuck?

I’ve been making since I was 9 and have never heard of an all in one sponge cake recipe. This has blown my mind.

Also scones in a food processor?! What is that all about, would someone mind explaining?

I do the all-in-one method with real Cornish butter. Stork does make a lighter cake but I don’t enjoy the artificial taste. I weigh 4 eggs in their shells, use the same weight for SR flour, sugar and butter. I soften the butter in the microwave, sift in the flour and sugar, add the eggs, mix until smooth. I never use extra baking powder. The sponges are always delicious. I use the same method for cupcakes.

I usually use the creaming method, but always use stork for baking. I do remember learning the all in one method in food tech classes at high school (that was back in the 90’s). I also make short crust pastry in the food processor (I think it’s a Nigella recipe I wrote down off the telly years ago).

The all in one method for a Victoria sponge is sacrilege.

Does anyone other than me add vanilla extract to plain sponge mixes? I find that you can't tell whether a cake has been made with Stork or butter if you do. I would never make buttercream with anything other than butter, or shortbread for that matter either.

Or maybe my tastebuds are not as sophisticated as some mumsnetters

I always add vanilla extract too. I use Pure margarine for buttercream as we're dairy-free here. It's fine.

I always beat Stork and butter first but then heap the rest in all together. So not quite all in one. Stork far better than butter for lightness. I always think when you squeeze VS with your fingers next to your ear you should hear a little whisper. That’s how you know it’s moist.

All in one produces a perfectly good family cake.

You get a slightly lighter cake with the creaming method.

MB has a touch of the old fashioned, practical, economical family cook about her - hence her early recipes requiring marge not butter. The ability to produce a quick all-in one sponge while simultaneously hanging the washing out, paying the milkman, deworming the cat and fending three squabbling under 5s is not to be sniffed at.

My favourite ever all in one family pud is this one:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/66715/recipe/lemon-pudding

I'm wanting cake now too . I would recommend trying half butter and half stork - you get the lightness of marg without the taste nor do you find it greasy like a full butter cake can be. Win win. Oh and I tend to favour the all in one method if using a hand whisk but somehow always revert to old school creaming method when the food processor comes out.

I make all in one without baking powder. Perfectly decent rise.