Another Victoria Sandwich

I had a WI meeting coming up and needed to provide a cake for the committee to enjoy while they have their teas and coffees.

I decided on my trusty Victoria Sponge cake.  Well the ladies really enjoyed it, so they have now had both my Chocolate Cake and Victoria Sponge now, so I need to think of what to do different for them next time.

I was also approached to price up for a Christmas Fruit Cake, fully iced.  Well I priced up all the ingredients and was a bit shocked when my ingredients alone came out to the price that you can pay in Marks and Spencer's and this was without any profit at all for me.  I decided to explain to the lady that unfortunately a Christmas Fruit cake is not viable for me to make and told her to get hers from M&S.

I have nothing in the pipeline at the moment, so will keep practising my baking.

Chocolate Cake

I made the chocolate filling and chocolate icing for the chocolate cake tonight.

I have sandwiched the cakes together with my chocolate icing and then totally covered the top and the sides of the cake. I add a little sugar flower petal for a finishing touch.

Well it's now finished - What do you think?

Hopefully all those that get a piece... Enjoy it.

Chocolate Cake

Well Wednesday has arrived and I am baking again.
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Filling and Chocolate Icing. A lovely recipe from Nigella

First weight out all the dry ingredients and add to a large bowl.



Add the soft butter to the dry ingredients, whisk until nice and creamy.

Add the cocoa, sour cream, vanilla extract and eggs and beat until all have been well combined and are nice and fluffy. I find I always need to use my spatula to get all the bits that are stuck to the side of the bowl.
Once you are happy pour into your prepared baking tins, again if you use a spatula this helps to get all the mixture out of the bowl into the tins. Whatever you do don't tap the tins, as this knocks all the air out and your cakes won't rise.

        Fluffly, creamy chocolate mixture added to prepared tins (greased and
                                              lined) ready for baking

I am quite happy with these are they look yummy? Well they certainly taste it!! It is after this point that you can lick the bowl and spoon, if your children haven't got their first!!

Bake in the oven for a good 35 mins, check with a skewer after 25 mins to see if the cake is cooked or needs longer.  If the skewer comes out wet, bake for a further 5 - 10 mins.

Once baked, leave the cakes in their tins to cool for approx 10 mins before transferring from their tins onto a cooling rack.

                                       Baked Cakes straight from the oven.

Well don't worry if the cake cracks on the top, as this will be covered by the icing when you come to decorate the cake.

Well that's me for tonight. The cakes are made and are cooling nicely on my wire rack.

Tomorrow I will make the chocolate icing, put the cake together, add the filling and decorate it with icing.

Chocolate Cake

Well got home tonight and received a text message about making a Chocolate cake, with chocolate filling and chocolate icing... well I was quite taken a back and was not sure if the person who sent the text was taking the mick!
Well it turns out they weren't... I have since costed up all my ingredients, electricity and time and it would appear that they were not put off by my price.  I just hope my cake justifies my price.
I have made this cake many times in the past and always received good feedback but never for money, so you can guarantee that this will be the one the goes wrong!
The cake is required for Thursday, so once I get home on Wednesday and get my boys sorted I will start baking and hope all goes well.
I intend to take pictures and up load my progress. So watch this space...

Baking

I am going to be baking a Victoria Sponge Cake this evening, for all the wonderful people at the local after school club who are helping them relocate from their portacabin to their new room in the school.
Unfortunately I am unable to help them moving as I will be in The Isle of Wight, but felt that I needed to do something for the workers, so suggested making them a cake.
I have finished getting the last of the ingredients that I needed - well Double cream for the filling, as no sponge is a true sponge unless it has cream!
My plan of action when I get home is to measure out all my ingredients and get baking, amidst keeping my 2 boys happy and fed as well.
The recipe I use for my sponge is a lovely Jamie Oliver recipe from his How to Cook book.  This is a truly great recipe that uses lemons in the sponge and lemon juice and vanilla pods in the cream.
As I progress this evening I will update and provide pictures.

Well didn't get time to update with pictures on the night, so here are my updates.

Cream together the butter and sugar until it is nice and light with a creamy texture.

Place the mixture into lined tins (don't tap the tins as this will release all the bubbles, that you need for the cake to rise)

Cook in the oven for approx 25 mins until golden brown, test with a skewer to see if the middle of the cake is cooked (If the skewer comes out wet bake for a bit longer)
Leave in tins for 10 mins to cool slighty, turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely

Once cool, select the worst looking of the 2 cakes (this will be the bottom) turn the cake upside down onto a plate, cover with jam and cream, top with the other cake, cover with a dusting of icing sugar.

Voila - A Victorian Sponge Sandwich - Time to enjoy with a nice cup of tea!

Feedback that I have received was that this was a very lovely cake and was enjoyed by all.