When it comes to cake choices there’s a whole plethora of options to choose from nowadays, leaving you literally spoilt for choice.
But while unusual and exotic flavours can be enticing, sometimes you just can’t go wrong with a classic. Different flavours will come and go but a Victoria sponge cake continues to remain a firm British favourite, and while it may be simple, it is undeniably delicious. If you’re keen to get into baking at home then this cake is an ideal choice to get started, or if you just want to whip up a quick tasty treat.
The cake only requires a few ingredients and can be made using the “all in one” method, which essentially means you just throw everything into the same bowl and mix them together. But the order in which you add your ingredients is important and if you want to achieve a light and fluffy texture, baking experts say the flour should be gently folded into your mixture by hand before baking.
Folding ingredients by hand is crucial for getting a light and airy cake as it gently combines the ingredients by lifting and turning the batter. If all the ingredients are combined using a mixer, this can knock out the pockets of air created during creaming which is what gives the sponge its lightness.
Plus, if you over-mix the batter, this can develop the gluten in the flour resulting in a more dense cake, whereas folding minimises gluten development for a more tender texture.
All Recipes says: “Avoid over-mixing for the most tender of cakes. Beat the batter just until the ingredients are combined (even folding in the last bits of dry ingredients by hand if needed). Doing so by hand is gentler than using an appliance.”
Folding in the ingredients by hand is a traditional method of making a Victoria sponge cake and requires the caster sugar and butter to be creamed first. Beaten eggs are then added to the mixture, followed by the flour and baking powder which are gently folded in to preserve the air pockets.
The Kitchn adds: “When incorporating the dry ingredients into the whipped eggs, you must fold the dry into the wet. Do so by very gently folding the contents at the bottom of the bowl over the top until no dry streaks remain.
“There will likely be hidden dry pockets, even when you think you have combined everything, so you may need to gently tilt the bowl to seek out these hidden pockets. Be as gentle as possible so as to not deflate the egg mixture.”