Greetings fellow bakers,

I just tried making a Victoria Sandwich cake over the weekend. I've been
told this is also called a pound cake (pound of sugar, pound of butter,
pound of flour). The cake is fairly simple. I used:

- 196g of unsalted butter
- 196g of self-raising flour
- 196g of icing sugar (recipe called for caster sugar)
- 3 eggs (188g total weight)
- a little warm water

They turned out a little dry and dense. Still edible but not the greatest
cake I've ever made.

Things to note:

You mix the butter and sugar together first then slowly add the eggs. If
the mixture curdles while adding the eggs, add a tablespoon of the flour.
I had to do this. Why did they curdle? Should I have been mixing faster at
a higher speed and adding the eggs faster?

Also, you are to folder in the flour then add warm water nutil you get a
drop consistency. I think I might have over folded the mixture.

The recipe called for caster sugar but all I had ws icing sugar. The
manufacturer added cornstarch to the sugar. Did this have some affect?

Do you think any one of these factors could have contributed to the cake
being a little dense? Or is it typically a dense cake?

Any tips you could provide would be appreciated.

--
Send e-mail to: darrell at cs dot toronto dot edu
Don't send e-mail to

I make a similar recipe often and the cake produced is nice and light. I
cream the butter and sugar then add the eggs gradually beating with an
electric mixer on a medium setting.If it curdles, i just carry on regardless
and have never noticed a difference in the cake so I wouldn't worry too
much! I don't fold the flour in with a spoon, but beat it in with the mixer.
As for using icing sugar, this could well have been your problem.I'm sure
that if you use caster sugar next time it will be fine. Also instead of
using water, I tend to use milk to let down my mixture. Makes the cake much
lighter.
Mel.

"Darrell Grainger" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings fellow bakers,
>
> I just tried making a Victoria Sandwich cake over the weekend. I've been
> told this is also called a pound cake (pound of sugar, pound of butter,
> pound of flour). The cake is fairly simple. I used:
>
> - 196g of unsalted butter
> - 196g of self-raising flour
> - 196g of icing sugar (recipe called for caster sugar)
> - 3 eggs (188g total weight)
> - a little warm water
>
> They turned out a little dry and dense. Still edible but not the greatest
> cake I've ever made.
>
> Things to note:
>
> You mix the butter and sugar together first then slowly add the eggs. If
> the mixture curdles while adding the eggs, add a tablespoon of the flour.
> I had to do this. Why did they curdle? Should I have been mixing faster at
> a higher speed and adding the eggs faster?
>
> Also, you are to folder in the flour then add warm water nutil you get a
> drop consistency. I think I might have over folded the mixture.
>
> The recipe called for caster sugar but all I had ws icing sugar. The
> manufacturer added cornstarch to the sugar. Did this have some affect?
>
> Do you think any one of these factors could have contributed to the cake
> being a little dense? Or is it typically a dense cake?
>
> Any tips you could provide would be appreciated.
>
> --
> Send e-mail to: darrell at cs dot toronto dot edu
> Don't send e-mail to

Darrell Grainger wrote:

>[....]
>You mix the butter and sugar together first then slowly add the eggs. If=

>the mixture curdles while adding the eggs, add a tablespoon of the flour=
=2E
>I had to do this. Why did they curdle? Should I have been mixing faster =
at
>a higher speed and adding the eggs faster?
>
Your problem is cold ingredients, Darrell.
The butter and eggs will not emulsify when cold. Your batter breaks, and =

no, it's not OK! Not for any cake batter, or mayonnaise for that matter. =

:-)
First you cream butter and sugar together, regular fine sugar is fine,=20
it will dissolve.
When everything is pale lemon (about double in volume), you start adding =

the eggs one by one and cream a little (not a lot) more.
Then you just add the flour (weak cake, like SoftAsSilk, or replace 10%=20
of A/P flour with wheat or cornstarch)
You can add a handfull of flour (from what is used in the recipe) if it=20
should ever start to curdle.
The water (I never use any) I would add with the flour.

After the flour is added, not much more mixing or the gluten will toughen=
=2E

If you don't like the fluffiness of the cake (poundcake is no boxcake by =

any stretch), add a little baking powder, that will make it fluffier.
But mostly a problem, if the batter breaks, as with any cake.
And that can be solved by using room temp ingredients and by adding the=20
eggs slowly.

Poundcake is one of *the* classical cakes, before GM came out with=20
2-stage mixing and cloyingly sweet, overly fat stuff (trans-cic fat,=20
emulsified shortenings).

Good luck with your baking.

--=20
Grue$$e.

C=3D=A6-)=A7 H. W. Hans Kuntze, CMC, S.g.K. (_o_)
" Strive for excellence in your life & reject being a doormat to others. =
Serve God. "
http://www.cmcchef.com , chef[AT]cmcchef.com
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/=20

On Mon, 19 Jan 2004, Mel wrote:

> I make a similar recipe often and the cake produced is nice and light. I
> cream the butter and sugar then add the eggs gradually beating with an
> electric mixer on a medium setting.If it curdles, i just carry on regardless
> and have never noticed a difference in the cake so I wouldn't worry too
> much! I don't fold the flour in with a spoon, but beat it in with the mixer.
> As for using icing sugar, this could well have been your problem.I'm sure
> that if you use caster sugar next time it will be fine. Also instead of
> using water, I tend to use milk to let down my mixture. Makes the cake much
> lighter.
> Mel.

Thanks for the reply Mel. Your the second person who told me the same
thing.

> "Darrell Grainger" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Greetings fellow bakers,
> >
> > I just tried making a Victoria Sandwich cake over the weekend. I've been
> > told this is also called a pound cake (pound of sugar, pound of butter,
> > pound of flour). The cake is fairly simple. I used:
> >
> > - 196g of unsalted butter
> > - 196g of self-raising flour
> > - 196g of icing sugar (recipe called for caster sugar)
> > - 3 eggs (188g total weight)
> > - a little warm water
> >
> > They turned out a little dry and dense. Still edible but not the greatest
> > cake I've ever made.
> >
> > Things to note:
> >
> > You mix the butter and sugar together first then slowly add the eggs. If
> > the mixture curdles while adding the eggs, add a tablespoon of the flour.
> > I had to do this. Why did they curdle? Should I have been mixing faster at
> > a higher speed and adding the eggs faster?
> >
> > Also, you are to folder in the flour then add warm water nutil you get a
> > drop consistency. I think I might have over folded the mixture.
> >
> > The recipe called for caster sugar but all I had ws icing sugar. The
> > manufacturer added cornstarch to the sugar. Did this have some affect?
> >
> > Do you think any one of these factors could have contributed to the cake
> > being a little dense? Or is it typically a dense cake?
> >
> > Any tips you could provide would be appreciated.
> >
> > --
> > Send e-mail to: darrell at cs dot toronto dot edu
> > Don't send e-mail to
>
>
>

--
Send e-mail to: darrell at cs dot toronto dot edu
Don't send e-mail to

On Mon, 19 Jan 2004, H. W. Hans Kuntze wrote:

> Darrell Grainger wrote:
>
> >[....]
> >You mix the butter and sugar together first then slowly add the eggs. If
> >the mixture curdles while adding the eggs, add a tablespoon of the flour=
=2E
> >I had to do this. Why did they curdle? Should I have been mixing faster =
at
> >a higher speed and adding the eggs faster?
> >
> Your problem is cold ingredients, Darrell.
> The butter and eggs will not emulsify when cold. Your batter breaks, and
> no, it's not OK! Not for any cake batter, or mayonnaise for that matter.
> :-)

Thanks for the reply. I actually took the butter and eggs out of the
fridge a few hours before I used them. I guess I could have left them out
a little longer.

> First you cream butter and sugar together, regular fine sugar is fine,
> it will dissolve.
> When everything is pale lemon (about double in volume), you start adding
> the eggs one by one and cream a little (not a lot) more.

This is what I usually do. The recipe indicated that I should mix the eggs
and add them a teaspoon at a time. This seems a little TOO slow to me. I
did it anyway. 8^)

> Then you just add the flour (weak cake, like SoftAsSilk, or replace 10%
> of A/P flour with wheat or cornstarch)
> You can add a handfull of flour (from what is used in the recipe) if it
> should ever start to curdle.
> The water (I never use any) I would add with the flour.
> After the flour is added, not much more mixing or the gluten will toughen=
=2E

This I knew. Never had any trouble with other recipes I have tried.

> If you don't like the fluffiness of the cake (poundcake is no boxcake by
> any stretch), add a little baking powder, that will make it fluffier.
> But mostly a problem, if the batter breaks, as with any cake.
> And that can be solved by using room temp ingredients and by adding the
> eggs slowly.
>
> Poundcake is one of *the* classical cakes, before GM came out with
> 2-stage mixing and cloyingly sweet, overly fat stuff (trans-cic fat,
> emulsified shortenings).

Good to know. I'm basically trying a little bit of everything. I have a
good carrot cake, gingerbread and chocolate cake recipe. I wanted to try
something white. So far it has all been good. Only had to throw out one
attempt. Everything else has been okay to great. 8^) This cake turned out
okay... all the guys at work liked it but then slather it with a rich
chocolate butter cream icing and they would eat anything.

> Good luck with your baking.

Thanks. And thanks for the information. And thanks for your web site. I've
been there a few times reading stuff. 8^)

> --
> Grue$$e.
>
> C=3D=A6-)=A7 H. W. Hans Kuntze, CMC, S.g.K. (_o_)
> " Strive for excellence in your life & reject being a doormat to others. =
Serve God. "
> http://www.cmcchef.com , chef[AT]cmcchef.com
> _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
>
>

--=20
Send e-mail to: darrell at cs dot toronto dot edu
Don't send e-mail to

(Darrell Grainger) wrote in message >...

>
> The recipe called for caster sugar but all I had ws icing sugar. The
> manufacturer added cornstarch to the sugar. Did this have some affect?
>
> Do you think any one of these factors could have contributed to the cake
> being a little dense? Or is it typically a dense cake?
>

Using icing sugar instead of the slightly coarser caster sugar will
not allow the creaming process to entrap eir optimally durinng that
particular step.
That is the primary reason why you had a dense cake.
Sugar granulation is very important in this area.
Roy

Hi Darrell! I read in your mail below that you have a "good carrot cake,
gingerbread and chocolate cake recipe". I'm a newbie at baking and was
wondering if you mind sharing the recipes of these cakes?

Thanks in advance,
Monika


"Darrell Grainger" > wrote in message
...
On Mon, 19 Jan 2004, H. W. Hans Kuntze wrote:

> Darrell Grainger wrote:
>
> >[....]
> >You mix the butter and sugar together first then slowly add the eggs. If
> >the mixture curdles while adding the eggs, add a tablespoon of the flour.
> >I had to do this. Why did they curdle? Should I have been mixing faster
at
> >a higher speed and adding the eggs faster?
> >
> Your problem is cold ingredients, Darrell.
> The butter and eggs will not emulsify when cold. Your batter breaks, and
> no, it's not OK! Not for any cake batter, or mayonnaise for that matter.
> :-)

Thanks for the reply. I actually took the butter and eggs out of the
fridge a few hours before I used them. I guess I could have left them out
a little longer.

> First you cream butter and sugar together, regular fine sugar is fine,
> it will dissolve.
> When everything is pale lemon (about double in volume), you start adding
> the eggs one by one and cream a little (not a lot) more.

This is what I usually do. The recipe indicated that I should mix the eggs
and add them a teaspoon at a time. This seems a little TOO slow to me. I
did it anyway. 8^)

> Then you just add the flour (weak cake, like SoftAsSilk, or replace 10%
> of A/P flour with wheat or cornstarch)
> You can add a handfull of flour (from what is used in the recipe) if it
> should ever start to curdle.
> The water (I never use any) I would add with the flour.
> After the flour is added, not much more mixing or the gluten will toughen.

This I knew. Never had any trouble with other recipes I have tried.

> If you don't like the fluffiness of the cake (poundcake is no boxcake by
> any stretch), add a little baking powder, that will make it fluffier.
> But mostly a problem, if the batter breaks, as with any cake.
> And that can be solved by using room temp ingredients and by adding the
> eggs slowly.
>
> Poundcake is one of *the* classical cakes, before GM came out with
> 2-stage mixing and cloyingly sweet, overly fat stuff (trans-cic fat,
> emulsified shortenings).

Good to know. I'm basically trying a little bit of everything. I have a
good carrot cake, gingerbread and chocolate cake recipe. I wanted to try
something white. So far it has all been good. Only had to throw out one
attempt. Everything else has been okay to great. 8^) This cake turned out
okay... all the guys at work liked it but then slather it with a rich
chocolate butter cream icing and they would eat anything.

> Good luck with your baking.

Thanks. And thanks for the information. And thanks for your web site. I've
been there a few times reading stuff. 8^)

> --
> Grue$$e.
>
> C=¦-)§ H. W. Hans Kuntze, CMC, S.g.K. (_o_)
> " Strive for excellence in your life & reject being a doormat to others.
Serve God. "
> http://www.cmcchef.com , chef[AT]cmcchef.com
> _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
>
>

--
Send e-mail to: darrell at cs dot toronto dot edu
Don't send e-mail to