Your lightest fluffiest vanilla sponge recipe please

[99redballoons]

Hi all, I have tried dozens of sponge recipes but they all end up being too heavy, I'm after something light and fluffy that I can put cream and jam icing in the middle with buttercream on top. Sort of like the sponge from the shop bought ones, or from bakeries.

The best one I've found is marslady's lemon drizzle cake recipe (I leave out the lemon bits, but it has lots of baking powder in it which I think might be the key?), but I thought I'd post to see if anyone makes birthday cakes for sale might let me in on their secret recipe!

Also, does anyone have a really tasty cream icing recipe for the filling like you get in the cakes from the supermarket?

My bf's dd's birthday is next weekend and she has asked me to make a winnie the pooh cake for her. TIA.

Use this one
8oz marge( I use stork SB) nice and soft at room temp
8oz sugar
8oz SR flour and 2tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract ( not essence!)

Put everything in a bowl and mix with a hand held mixer ; then add a splash of milk and mix a bit more.
Put into 2 greased 8" tins, lined and bake in oven 160 fan oven/ 170 non fan for just over 20 mins.
Top should be firm to touch, but edges shouldn't be shrinking away.
turn out onto rack and cool.

for icing , cream butter and icing sugar with a bit of vanilla extract and small splash of milk.

Thanks robinpud, is that a victora sponge recipe? That used to be one I used all the time, but find I bake it a bit heavy.

I will try that with my icing, it's a bit thick and not so runny, so maybe a bit of vanilla & milk will help. Thx.

What is a chiffon cake recipe?

Is it the egg, baking powder or milk that makes a cake fluffy?

If you find a Victoria Sponge too heavy for you (i.e. a sponge made with equal weights of flour, sugar, margarine/butter and eggs) you could consider a whisked sponge, but it needs to be eaten really fresh - there is no fat to keep it moist. Recipe for fatless sponge
I've always found these more difficult to get right and that a good Victoria sponge - where you weigh the eggs then have exactly the same weight of flour, sugar and fat is the best.

Thanks lilymaid.

It is a victoria sponge recipe, and it's the extra baking powder which makes it really light as long as you use an electric whisk. I make this all the time and it is so light.

Hi robinpud, maybe it's my method of mixing. I do use an electric whisk but after reading up on a few websites I might not be whisking the butter/sugar for long enough and after adding the eggs. Patience might be all I need! Will try again. Thanks alot.

I think you're right in that its to do with the mixing.
I tried this and it worked;
Use a hand held mixer and whisk the butter and sugar til v.pale. Beat the eggs separately and add a bit at a time to the mix, along with a bit of the measured flour and mix thoroughly after each bit.

I can make this caek from ingredients in cupbaords till cake in oven- 6 minutes, so I think about 2 minutes of mixing is ample!

The trick to making a victoria sponge really light is to beat the sugar and butter together until the mixture turns from yellow to white. Only then should you add eggs and flour. Oh, just noticed Tyme has already said this. It really does make all the difference.

My tips (my VSC is oh so very light, I always get comments, 2nd place in village show )

Don't do an all in one mix.

Cream butter and sugar with electric whisk (don't listen to SMS if she comes along wittering about wooden blardy spoons).

Slowly add beaten eggs (whisking away).

HIGH SIFT SELF RAISING FLOUR (Mcgdougals supreme sponge is best) into its own bowl.

HIGH SIFT AGAIN into bowl with sugar/butter/egg mix, about a third at a time. Fold in very gently using large metal spoon.

So light you will believe you are eating sponge made by fairies using gossamer cooking utensils.

Ok- ignore slub unless you have weeks to devote to this project.. ( and she should know ; ) Use my method and you will have no problems.. I would of course win 1st prize at viallge show if there was any cake left to enter, but there isn't cos it's so blardy light!

NO use my method.

I think it's the mixing and the freshness of the eggs. You need to cream to butter and sugar really well until very fluffy and use the freshest eggs you can get. And an extra tsp of baking powder even with self-raising flour helps too.

Got to say, I'm not convinced that sifting flour makes any difference because unlike eggs there's nothing in flour that will trap air.

Daisy, are you questioning the merits of the high sift? are you? Do you really want to go there because I'm already feisty enough as it is (robinpud has paid the price)?

Erm, maybe not

Thank you

Please believe me when I tell you the circumference of my thighs bears witness to the testing and succesful outcome of the high sift.

Rachel Allens birthday sponge

really light. doesnt have any butter in. My husband and childrens favourite cake ever!

Method
Ingredients
3 Eggs, separated
90ml water
225g Sugar
140g Flour
1 tsp Baking powder

For the filling
250ml whipped cream
85g fresh fruit, such as sliced strawberries or raspberries
2 tsp icing sugar1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Grease and line two round 20cm cake tins.

1. Beat the yolks and sugar for 2 minutes and blend in the water. Whisk until firm and creamy - this should take about ten minutes or so.

1. Fold in the flour and baking powder into the cake mixture.

1. Whip the egg whites until they hold a stiff peak and fold them in to the mixture before spooning into the cake tins.

1. Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. Turn out and cool on a wire rack, and fill with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

1. Sieve icing sugar on top before serving.

Did this at a school cake stall and it was really popular:

Primary Choice Sponge

Serves 4

115g (4oz) Butter or margarine
115g (4oz) Caster sugar
2 Eggs
225g (8oz) Plain wholewheat flour*
15g (½ oz) Baking powder
85ml (3fl oz) Milk

Topping
85g (3oz) Butter or margarine
85g (3oz) Golden syrup
175g (6oz) Icing sugar
1 tablespoon Drinking chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4.

To make the sponge, cream the butter or margarine and sugar together in a bowl. Beat the eggs, and then beat them into the creamed mixture. Sift the flour and baking powder together then add gradually to the creamed mixture. Add sufficient milk to give a soft consistency.

Put into a greased 20cm (8?) square cake tin and bake in the preheated oven until springy to the touch, about 30-35 minutes.

For the topping, melt the butter or margarine and the syrup together in a pan. Sift in the icing sugar and drinking chocolate, and beat until smooth. Spread on to the cake, and leave to set.

• the original recipe ? from The Dinner Lady by Jeanette Orrey ? states plain flour, I used Waitrose Wholewheat Flour and it was lovely!

You must read last year's village show threads: they were hilarious and informative. I can't link - Im supposed to be working

Village Show VSC & why I am no longer a size 10

Full & final recipe details here

Tatterdemalion - are you slubberdegullion? Am i several months behind the times?

Message withdrawn

I am (in a temporary but still polysyllabic (?sp) form)

What cod said. With a tsp of baking powder.

Make sure your flour is really fresh.