Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Does anyone have a recipe I can use for a 10inch vanilla sponge…. I want to bake it in a deep tin and then slice into 3/4 …any help greatly appreciated …..:) I find the Maderia a bit dry

Hi Cazhgs

There is Mrs Jones’ vanilla sponge in the baking section. The recipe is two 10″ sponge cakes but if you just want one, the recipe can be halved. Another good recipe is the easy vanilla cake by Jane Hornby which can be found here http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10860/easy-vanilla-cake. Madeira doesn’t have to be dry, a simple syrup drench brushed onto each layer will keep it very moist and give a longer shelf life. Hope this helps

Hi…. thanks for the reply . Does the sugar syrup make it a little to moist ? Can you use the syrup on a cold cake when it has been sliced ?

Hi I use this recipe keeps moist.
Mix 5oz sugar 2oz plain flour 4oz margarine together for 10 mins.
Then add 5oz of eggs ( warm) after add 3/4oz of milk with your flavouring ( normally tsp vanilla).
Once this is done fold in 4oz of sr flour and 1oz of Plain flour ( do not mix with mixer)

Makes 8″ round but double up to get 3″ height. Times this by 1.5 for 10″ round

hi kbrown

This is a very interesting recipe. just a couple of qs.
Have you ever used butter for this recipe instead of margarine?
By warm eggs do you mean room temp?
What oven temp ?

Hi Cazhgs

The syrup does not make the cake too moist or soggy. For a 10″ cake you’ll only need 150ml of water or fruit juice with 150gm of sugar boiled up for a couple of minutes. It can be flavoured by adding a vanilla bean during boiling. Once cooled it is just brushed on all the layers to soak down into the sponge before filling and decorating.

Hi ninahasham

No only ever used margarine flora buttery. The recipe just said warmed so assumed room temp.

If still cold I slightly warmed them in a microwave for few seconds cake still comes out ok.

I got the recipe from a catering college and it states it stays moist for 7 days and for a Madeira type sponge it does.