Victoria sponge/sandwich but not too sweet?

[WildFlowerBees]

I’ve been tasked with making a Victoria sandwich. All the shop bought ones are too sweet and a bit too synthetic so I need a really good (fool proof) recipe but that doesn’t have loads of sugar.

Mary Berry, Delia or Nigella? All look good.

Weigh your 4 eggs in their shells ,whatever weight that is what weight you need for flour, fat and sugar.

Yes, the above. Usually about 250g.
Then cream the (salted) butter (room temp or spreadable) and sugar together in a mixer for longer than you think, until really pale.
Lightly whisk eggs in a jug, add a dash of vanilla and add slowly to the butter / sugar with the mixer on. Then fold in the flour. Split between two greased, lined tins and bake for 25 mins at 165 fan.
Turn out, peel off , leave to cool and sandwich together with seedless raspberry jam. Sprinkle top with a little sugar.
Simple perfection!
(Jane Asher's recipe)

My go to recipe for sponge cake and fairy cakes is 1 egg to 2oz each of flour, sugar, butter/stork and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Depending on the size of the tin I would do 4 eggs and 8oz ingredients or 3 eggs and 6oz ingredients.
It's probably not a good idea to reduce the sugar too much in this type of recipe, instead, look for a tried and tested low sugar cake recipe.

Don't reduce the sugar in a standard cake mix. Either put cream and jam, or just jam in the middle . No buttercream - that is often the sweetest component in a bought sponge.

Thank you, was going to use fresh cream. But you’re right it is the buttercream that’s the issue I think.

Mary berry is always my go to for cakes, perfect every time. Agree about weighing the eggs and using the same measurements for your flour/sugar/butter.

I’ve experimented with a little less sugar, up to 3/4 oz less and it has been ok! I hate over sweet cakes too as all you can taste is the sugar.

Also used ricotta to replace some of the fat and that had been divine.

Home made don’t taste over sweet like the shop ones, just use normal Delia style ratios. And agree it can often be the buttercream that’s too sweet - fresh cream and raspberries inside is way nicer, and a thin dusting of icing sugar on the top. Or if you do use buttercream, maybe stir a bit of lemon curd through it?

Exactly this but use Stork & McDougalls sponge flour for the cake. Proper butter for the buttercream filling though.

Never made one but now really want to try.

So stork is better than butter for the mix?

Any other tips?

In my experience, stork gives a lighter texture and butter gives a better flavour.

I do the Mary Berry all-in-one Victoria Sponge. To make it less sweet use a more tart jam - I used a homemade one last year (blackberry & gooseberry) - it one first prize in the local village Flower & Produce Show!

Can you use clotted cream for the fat component? I have some to use up

I think it’s the buttercream that’s so horrible in shop cakes

You might want to put the jam in the middle and serve the cream on the side - it lasts longer (and is actually traditional).

A sharper jam will help too..

Please don’t use Stork or make buttercream, both these things are truly evil and revolting.

If butter, icing sugar, and joy are evil, then call me the villain of afternoon tea.

I didn’t know that! Thank you, I think that’s a good idea.

I do a very thin layer of lemon curd as well as whatever filling you are using, it really cuts through the sweetness.

4442, 6663 or 8884 is the ratio I use.
4/6/8 ounces of fat/sugar/flour to 2/3/4 eggs, depending on the size of cake you want.
You could reduce the sugar, but not the flour or fat.

I used to use a can’t believe it’s not butter type spread as annoyingly margarine does give lighter results than butter and the can’t believe spreads give you buttery flavour.

But - I’ve reformed my ways since mostly giving up UPF and trans fats. I’ve gone back to butter and now add a tablespoon of natural yoghurt to get a light result. Apparently it’s the acidity in the yoghurt that gives the lightness and lemon juice would also work, but I haven’t tried that.

Sorry, not computing. Isn’t that why God invented spoons?

I'll give that a go, interesting.

No, you just need to buy or make more scones.

Then when you run out of cream but have scones left, see step one.

A traditional Victoria Sponge only has raspberry jam and a sprinkle of castor sugar on top. No whipped cream/buttercream in the middle.

Having said that my family like a lemon sponge (200g butter, castor sugar and Self raising flour. 4 eggs and the rind of a lemon. I also add lemon oil to boost the lemon flavour) with Lemon curd in the middle.