My Victoria Sponge

I love baking! I'm not afraid to admit that I'm really into my "granny" hobbies. Baking, jam/chutney making, sewing, I love it all!

One of the things I am most proud of is my Victoria Sponge. I make it a lot, and always get asked about it and how I make it, so I have put together this little post with the recipe and method etc. My recipe is based on a lovely recipe by Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall and my Nan's all-in-one sponge recipe, with a few tweaks here and there.

This recipe is for a sponge made in 8 inch diameter tins. I normally use two shallower tins however I have made it as one cake, in a deeper tin and then cut in half. I use a hand mixer to combine my ingredients, a bit of a no-no for sponge cake purists, but I find it A LOT easier and makes a lighter sponge!

Ingredients:

For the sponge cake
* 4 medium free range eggs
* Self raising flour
* Caster sugar
* Softened unsalted butter
* 1tsp Vanilla essence (optional)
* Pinch Salt
* Jam
* Icing sugar to dust

For the butter icing
* 280g Icing sugar
* 140g of soft, unsalted butter
* 1-2 tbsp milk
* 1/2 tsp of Vanilla essence

Sponge Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180*/350*F gas mark 4.

2. Put the 4 eggs (in their shells) in the bowl of your scales and make a note of the weight.

3. Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat together with the salt and vanilla essence (if using).

4. Weigh an equal amount of each, softened unsalted butter, caster sugar, and self raising flour.

5. Add the caster sugar to the butter and "cream" together until light and fluffy. NB: If you're not used to baking terminology "creaming" the butter and sugar just means mixing together until its a nice, smooth, fluffy consistency.

6. Add the egg mix to the sugar/butter 1/4 at a time, mixing thoroughly until a smooth batter is formed. Sometimes the mixture can split, this can be prevented by adding a spoonful of flour before the last 1/4 of egg.

7. Next add the flour, a small amount at a time, continuously mixing until all the flour has been added and a lovely smooth mix is formed.

8. Divide the mixture between the two lined tins (have a look at the end of the recipe for how to lining cake tins).

9. Pop the cakes in the oven for 25-30 mins. Remember DO NOT keep opening the oven to check on the cake! Opening the door lets out the heat, and is a sure-fire way to end up with flat sponge cakes! Be patient, and wait until about 20-25 mins before you check the cake!

Tip: You can use a skewer or a cocktail stick to check the cake is cooked through. You should be able to remove the skewer cleanly.

10. Leave the cakes, in the tins, on a wire rack to cool before removing from the tins. Leave the sponges to cool completely before trying to ice. This is a great time to make the butter icing!


Butter Icing Method:

1. Beat the butter until smooth in a bowl

2. Add half the icing sugar and the vanilla essence and beat until smooth.

3. Add the remaining icing sugar and 1 tbsp of milk and beat until smooth and creamy, add remaining milk if if required.

Finishing off!

To complete your cake, spread a generous helping your favourite jam on one half of the sponge, and butter icing on the other, before sandwiching together!

Top with a light dusting of icing sugar and done! One lovely, yummy Victoria Sponge Cake!

 

Lining the tins

For me, lining your tins properly is crucial for sponge making. There is nothing worse than taking your beautiful, perfect sponges out of the oven and finding you can't get the bloody things out of the tins!! I never rely on "non stick" tins either. Assume every tin will stick! Lining tins isn't difficult, but can be a bit fiddly if you're new to it. So here is a quick step-by-step for lining round cake tins. 

 

You will need:

• A knob of butter
• Your cake tins (obviously!)
• Greaseproof paper
• A pen
• Scissors

1. On a piece of greaseproof paper, draw around the base of the tin, and cut out. Repeat for the second tin.

2. Measure the circumference of the tin (that's all the way around the edge folks!) and cut a strip of greaseproof paper to length adding 4cm for overlap.

3. Fold the strip in half length-ways and then make cuts into the middle of the paper every 1-2cm.

4. Grease your tins with butter making sure to get all the corners!

5. Place the long strip against the side of the tin, with the cuts edges on the base. The cuts will overlap, allowing you to easily bend the strip to the curve.

6. Add the circle of paper to the base, and your ready to bake!

 

 

My bike!

If you know me in real life, then you'll know how much I love cars and motorcycles. Especially old ones! In fact, I like most things old, but we'll come back to that another time! ;)
When I was a young teenager, all I wanted was a motorbike! I loved custom, chopped bikes more than anything, however my parents, worrying for my safety (as all wonderful parents do) cleverly tricked me into getting a car! My family persuaded me to do my driving test first. My Grandma never passed her test and has always encouraged us to learn to drive to make sure we were independent especially as we got older. Very wise words Gran!

However, the day I passed my test the crafty buggers gave me a car! Now don't get me wrong, it was the most amazing thing they could ever have given me and it opened up my entire world, but from that moment on I would forever be poor. Car insurance, road tax, MOT's, petrol, every spare penny went on the car, with nothing left for CBT or bike test, let alone a bike!

So years passed, and although I have had several cars which I have loved and enjoyed driving, it still hasn't cured my hankering for two wheels!
So last year, I decided that I would make more effort to do my CBT, my big bike test and get my bike. (Secretly dreaming of winning the lottery so I can havemy Krazy Horse Bobber!!).
Well after chatting at great lengths to a very lovely chap at Camrider in Ipswich, it turned out that none of the riding schools have bikes that are small enough for me. I'm not saying they don't adjust, they just don't adjust enough for my tiny legs! Ok, so new plan.  Pay the hundreds of pounds to do everything all at once and go direct to big bikes, or buy a 125cc bike to adjust and do my CBT on.

The idea of going straight to big bikes sounded great, but having NO experience, was also very scary, so I opted for the later. Now buying a 125cc motorbike might sounds straightforward, but every teenage boy in the land wants to own one! Couple that with trying to find something cool, and your looking at lots of money, and I'm poor! After weeks of searching bike shows, swap meets and ebay, my fella and I came across this little thing.

Now boys, if you're reading this don't got getting all grumpy at me for using the wrong words and all that crap ok!

An AJS 125. Still the original British owned AJS company (apparently :p) but now made in china so this little beauty only cost me the measly sum of £300 with a years tax and MOT! Bargain! Oh and yes it does run!

So now to make some adjustments so I can reach the ground! Luckily my man is rather handy with an angle grinder and a welding torch so we set to work cutting off all the bits I don't need!

So what have we done so far? First that daft bag rack on the back and the twin seat! That little engine is going to struggle to move itself let alone me, a passenger and bags, definitely not needed, so removed! Oh and the rails on the sides.
The forks lowered, and the rear shocks swapped for shorter ones. Lowering the whole bike loads, so the kick stand needed adjusting too!

So my little bike currently looks like this!

On second thoughts no it doesn't, those are the old shocks! :p Nevermind will have a new picture soon! Next we need to rebuild the back end and the seat, but it's definitely got a cafe/brat style look going on! And yes that is my old man's butt in the left corner, but it's a nice butt so I'm leaving it in!
I'm really looking forward to getting the structural stuff finished so I can get my CBT done and start riding properly!

And then get my big bike license, and my bobber!! :D

Introductions

Hi there!

I'm Georgie and this is my blog! I like a lot of different things, from girly things like fashion, make up and hair styling, to crafty things, to big noisy engines covered in grease! This picture sums me up quite well. Pin up hair, retro make-up, tattoos and my Harley T!


I wanted to start a blog about stuff I like, that hopefully other people might like too! I tend to waffle and write complete gibberish occasionally but if you find me remotely entertaining please do follow this blog and lets see where it goes!

thanks and much love!

Georgie


p.s. I'm not into all the nastiness of posting negative stuff and mean things, so if you only here to be horrid please go away and find someone else to bother! :)