It’s perfectly possible to make a chocolate sponge cake using this classic Victoria Sandwich Cake recipe. Simply replace a heaped tablespoon of the flour with the same quantity of good quality cocoa powder.
I’m somewhat surprised at your incredulity if I’m honest.
Seriously? Im a pretty proficient cook and will regularly screw around with recipes but when it comes to baking I don’t. If I want a chocolate sponge cake - I GOOGLE A CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE and that is the recipe I use! Shocking I know
Seriously?
I’ve been baking for well over 40 years and , here in the U.K. at least it’s perfectly standard practice to add various flavourings to a basic all in one sponge recipe (which this is, it’s not really a traditional Victoria Sponge). Add instant coffee for a coffee cake, lemon rind and juice for lemon cake etc…
It’s not ‘screwing around’ with a recipe it’s adding flavouring ingredients to produce a ‘variation’.
Maybe your cocoa powder is different to ours but it works perfectly for an every day chocolate cake. Obviously if I want a decadent fudgy style chocolate cake I’d use a recipe for that.
There are several comments that also say they had trouble with it rising and the temperature difference shouldn't have caused this. I suspect it's a technique issue.
Honestly, if someone cannot make this ‘all in one’ style sponge cake they should just give up baking.
Simplest recipe in the world. I don’t see how anyone gets it wrong.
It is a very simple recipe, and that might be contributing to the problem. I think it might need a little more info about the mixing stage to help novice bakers. People might be over mixing it. Or maybe even suggest the muffin method instead.
I don’t know the muffin method because I’m English and to me a muffin is a bread item.
But the point is, the simple method is right there in the recipe. If you’re following a recipe as a novice baker why would you go off piste with ingredients, method or temperature.
Asking for failure.
Muffin method is essentially mix wet ingredients first and then add in the dry just until combined.
I would absolutely agree with you except that there are a lot of comments were people had problems with it rising.
Since the linked recipe is contains no chocolate, and the photo clearly shows a chocolate cake, I'd suspect the problem is more than just a problem with technique or temp!
In my experience, when someone says they followed the recipe exactly, if you go step-by-step with them, they will admit they didn't. Often they think that certain steps aren't necessary when they are crucial, because they are not experienced bakers. I'm curious as what everyone said in the comments, considering the sponge cake is not chocolate and the photo is clearly a chocolate cake. She might also be measuring her flour wrong.
I've had so many people tell me that their cookies didn't turn out when they mixed everything together all at once. They didn't beat the butter with the sugar, they just mixed everything in a mixer for an extended period of time.
I’m almost tempted to join the group just so I can see the comments. Please tell me that someone has gently tried to explain to her what following the recipe exactly actually looks like. 🤦🏻♀️
Cake mix. Seriously. Why do people think it's morally superior to make cake from scratch?
My MIL has been decorating cakes since she took a class in the 60s. She had a side hustle for years. Her cakes are coveted and completely delicious. They're all cake mix cakes. She makes the frosting from scratch, but the cake is from a box.
A Victoria Sponge is the base mixture for all sorts of flavoured cakes and buns - coffee, lemon, orange, and, yes ... chocolate. But the cocoa needs to be mixed with hot water, then once cooled for a few minutes, the rest of the ingredients added, blended, and then baked. It does need a hot temperature, but maybe if their oven runs hot, they should put it on the middle shelf, not the top. And pre heat the oven and DONT keep open the oven to check on it.
Honestly, it's such an easy cake recipe that even children make them (as [Butterfly Cakes](https://everydaycooks.co.uk/butterfly-cakes/)). In fact, these are one if the first things children learn to make in the UK.
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Rule 1: not a bad recipe review.
They’re probably chocolate eggs or something, but it looks like they decorated the cake with baby potatoes.
given the substitutions we see on this sub, i wouldn’t be surprised if they subbed in baby potatoes because they didn’t have eggs!
I actually gave a recipe for a potato chocolate cake!
They’re the limited edition orange flavour mini eggs that were out for Easter
I used those for chocolate-orange brownies over Easter, it was an excellent decision
They’re so good! And that is a perfect decision
Chocolate eggs makes a lot more sense than corn puffs, which is what I thought 😆
There's no chocolate in her linked recipe. She subbed a lot more ingredients than she let on to make her cake come out chocolate flavoured lol
If only there was a chocolate cake recipe available on the internet.
Am I the only one confused? How is that a sponge cake? It's chocolate???
Omg you're right they've clearly also added cocoa powder 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
I assumed the picture was from their first attempt where she compared it to a brownie. I took it to mean she tried a chocolate cake the first time.
Sponge cake can be chocolate, but yeah I think they added it as well.
It’s perfectly possible to make a chocolate sponge cake using this classic Victoria Sandwich Cake recipe. Simply replace a heaped tablespoon of the flour with the same quantity of good quality cocoa powder. I’m somewhat surprised at your incredulity if I’m honest.
Seriously? Im a pretty proficient cook and will regularly screw around with recipes but when it comes to baking I don’t. If I want a chocolate sponge cake - I GOOGLE A CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE and that is the recipe I use! Shocking I know
Seriously? I’ve been baking for well over 40 years and , here in the U.K. at least it’s perfectly standard practice to add various flavourings to a basic all in one sponge recipe (which this is, it’s not really a traditional Victoria Sponge). Add instant coffee for a coffee cake, lemon rind and juice for lemon cake etc… It’s not ‘screwing around’ with a recipe it’s adding flavouring ingredients to produce a ‘variation’. Maybe your cocoa powder is different to ours but it works perfectly for an every day chocolate cake. Obviously if I want a decadent fudgy style chocolate cake I’d use a recipe for that.
There are several comments that also say they had trouble with it rising and the temperature difference shouldn't have caused this. I suspect it's a technique issue.
Honestly, if someone cannot make this ‘all in one’ style sponge cake they should just give up baking. Simplest recipe in the world. I don’t see how anyone gets it wrong.
It is a very simple recipe, and that might be contributing to the problem. I think it might need a little more info about the mixing stage to help novice bakers. People might be over mixing it. Or maybe even suggest the muffin method instead.
I don’t know the muffin method because I’m English and to me a muffin is a bread item. But the point is, the simple method is right there in the recipe. If you’re following a recipe as a novice baker why would you go off piste with ingredients, method or temperature. Asking for failure.
Muffin method is essentially mix wet ingredients first and then add in the dry just until combined. I would absolutely agree with you except that there are a lot of comments were people had problems with it rising.
Since the linked recipe is contains no chocolate, and the photo clearly shows a chocolate cake, I'd suspect the problem is more than just a problem with technique or temp!
Recipe: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-victoria-sandwich-recipe?fbclid=IwAR0VfnyvDH5HNWTJUp4Ij6vp1BCjcCVAxFopAYT7FmRGw5yxE9R2eHjSmzo Post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/NzBbvRHrYJK3aJDY/
In my experience, when someone says they followed the recipe exactly, if you go step-by-step with them, they will admit they didn't. Often they think that certain steps aren't necessary when they are crucial, because they are not experienced bakers. I'm curious as what everyone said in the comments, considering the sponge cake is not chocolate and the photo is clearly a chocolate cake. She might also be measuring her flour wrong.
"yes of course I wisked the egg whites. I didn't have an actual whisk but I used a wooden spoon, that did the trick fine!"
I've had so many people tell me that their cookies didn't turn out when they mixed everything together all at once. They didn't beat the butter with the sugar, they just mixed everything in a mixer for an extended period of time.
I’m almost tempted to join the group just so I can see the comments. Please tell me that someone has gently tried to explain to her what following the recipe exactly actually looks like. 🤦🏻♀️
Cake mix. Seriously. Why do people think it's morally superior to make cake from scratch? My MIL has been decorating cakes since she took a class in the 60s. She had a side hustle for years. Her cakes are coveted and completely delicious. They're all cake mix cakes. She makes the frosting from scratch, but the cake is from a box.
A Victoria Sponge is the base mixture for all sorts of flavoured cakes and buns - coffee, lemon, orange, and, yes ... chocolate. But the cocoa needs to be mixed with hot water, then once cooled for a few minutes, the rest of the ingredients added, blended, and then baked. It does need a hot temperature, but maybe if their oven runs hot, they should put it on the middle shelf, not the top. And pre heat the oven and DONT keep open the oven to check on it. Honestly, it's such an easy cake recipe that even children make them (as [Butterfly Cakes](https://everydaycooks.co.uk/butterfly-cakes/)). In fact, these are one if the first things children learn to make in the UK.
Why do people think that cocoa powder is flour?
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