Cakes; sponge, chiffon, genoise, etc

I used to make a fat-free sponge but only if it was to be eaten almost at once. A Victoria will keep in a tin for ages.

Baking I’m afraid is not for me I’m off to the best bakers in the whole of Fife today the cakes are various and delicious

If making a sponge I put my eggs on the balance scale match to flour, sugar and butter... these days I then put back some of the sugar!

This is not a traditional British recipe in my opinion as it's made with oil instead of butter and it's not a "fat free sponge" either. Angel cake (when made by me) has no egg yolks so not that either.

Williamsburg Butter Frosting gives this one (above) away! Surely that is just orange butter icing!

Me again, sorry. You ask what our go to recipe is. We very rarely eat cake so I don't often do one.

I like it lemony, or will do a carrot cake, but recently I found an Italian recipe and did it as a dessert for an Italian-themed dinner for friends. It included lots of ricotta and had potato starch in it. I followed the recipe exactly as it was to be for guests. It was moist and delicious and the advantage was that it was supposed to be best after a couple of days' standing. Will try and do that again. If I can find the recipe. Am happy to translate it and post it here if I do.

I've never heard of chiffon cake, by the way. I thought that was a kind of chilled, light dessert, with lots of whipped egg white. I have a recipe for "Orange chiffon" which is something like that.

I always thought a cake without fat was an Angel cake. The sort that you would use for a Swiss roll.

Then, as others have said, a Victoria sponge has equal weights of flour, sugar, fat and eggs. Then an ordinary cake has more flour in proportion to the other ingredients and a Madeira cakes I thinks has extra eggs.

In Germany the more common, everyday cakes cakes are made with yeast. (Hefeteig).
The lighter kind without fat is Bisquit, any other kind is a Rührkuchen. Cake culture is very different here anyway.

Ah, I never thought about how long it would keep. I guess adding the fat would help keep the moisture in. Thanks.

I think I will have to do some cake testing... make a few over the course of a month and take notes on texture, taste etc. The chiffon cake I made last night (for tonight's family dinner) is not iced; I will serve it with fresh pineapple and whip cream.

I call a fat free cake with only eggs, sugar and flour, an egg sponge and the one with fat, Victoria sponge. I've never made a chiffon cake - it doesn't seem to be very popular in UK.

Egg sponge is very light, but doesn't keep well. Victoria sponge is a bit heavier but doesn't go stale so quickly.

Victoria sponge here too.
200 gr flour
200 gr caster sugar
200gr butter or Stork
5eggs
Spoonful of milk
Teaspoon baking powder.

This is the one I use, less the turmeric. (Copy and paste)

Yellow Cake
▢2 3/4 cup cake flour
▢1 tablespoon baking powder
▢1/2 teaspoon salt
▢3/4 teaspoon turmeric
▢1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
▢3/4 cup neutral flavored oil (I used avocado oil)
▢1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
▢2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
▢1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray two 8 or 9 inch cake pans with oil. I also like to place a circle of round parchment paper in the bottom to prevent the cakes from sticking to the pans.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, turmeric and sugar together until well combined.
To the same bowl, pour in the oil, soy milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. Mix with the dry ingredients using a large spoon until just combined. Be careful not to over mix, or the cake won't be as soft. (You can also use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.)
Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then carefully pop them out and place on a cooling rack. You must allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting.

AFAIK that is called a fat-free sponge here, not that I’ve ever made one.

I only ever make a Victoria sponge - 4 large eggs, 8 Oz/200 gm each of SR flour, caster sugar, and soft butter or Stork. 2 x 8 inch/20 cm sandwich tins.