WI Life February 2015 33

Let them eat

CAKE The Victoria sandwich is a WI icon
and the story of this simple sponge
reflects a century of rapid change
Words: MARY GWYNN, author of The WI Cookbook: The First 100 years Pictures: MARIE-LOU AVERY Home economist: LINDY WILDSMITH

I
s there a more The NFWI requested suggestions for a national song. In July 1922, three years after
potent symbol ‘national Institute song’ in 1922. This led the magazine was first published, a short note
of the WI than to much debate on the letters page of the WI in the household tips column finds the first
the Victoria magazine, Home & Country. Jerusalem was of three short recipes: ‘Sponge Sandwich - 2
MARY GWYNN

sandwich? chosen for its call for a better future and sung oz. butter or Margarine, ¼ lb of sugar. Beat
Buttery and light, filled for the first time by delegates at the 8th AGM up to a cream. Add 2 eggs well beaten then
with a layer of raspberry in 1924. The magazine said ‘the delegates stir in ¼ lb flour, 2 teaspoonfuls of baking
jam and with its golden sing hopefully of the New Jerusalem which powder and 1 tablespoonful of milk. Bake
surface dusted with a every institute member is helping to build’. in a quick oven for a quarter of an hour.’ It’s
fine coating of caster sugar, its very simplicity The development of the Victoria sandwich recognisably the ancestor of the recipe we
denotes the challenge it presents to bakers reflects the story of the WI as it progressed use today.
and oven manufacturers. from its origins in the dark days of the First The original Victoria sponge goes back to
Back in 1915, were the earliest members World War to today’s modern organisation. the first years of the young Queen’s reign. She
making sponges before singing Jerusalem at The earliest recipe for a sponge sandwich was known for her sweet tooth and gave her
WI gatherings? It seems not. The truth is far (no royal connection) appeared in Home & name to all kinds of foods – from the popular
more complex. Country the same year as the debate over a plum variety to a type of rhubarb, a pea and

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 a sweet suet pudding made with apples, dried Recipes. It contains three sandwich cakes and
cherries and apricot jam. The first recipe an orange cake that is in essence the classic
to appear in print for ‘Victoria Sandwiches’ Victoria cake recipe we use today.
was in Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Surprisingly, neither Victoria sponge
Management, 1861. Her recipe is based on nor sandwich are name-checked in any
four eggs with their weight in ‘pounded sugar, WI publication until 1957. As butter and
butter and flour’. meat finally came off the ration books in
The mixture contained no raising agent but the summer of 1954, the nation faced a
is beaten for 10 minutes to add air before it is new worry. Many women, drafted to work
cooked in a Yorkshire pudding tin. The cake is in factories in support of the war effort,
then split, spread with ‘nice preserve’ and cut had lost the skills that their mothers and
into long ‘finger pieces’. grandmothers took for granted. Years of
Baking had been transformed by the arrival restrictions on ingredients such as fat, flour,
of refined white flour and sugar, along with eggs and butter meant basic recipes such as
the invention of baking powder in the 1840s. crumble, batters and cakes were no longer
It allowed the making of rich, buttery cakes commonplace.
with a fine crumb, ideal for serving with that The WI leapt to fill the gap. In 1954, a
other sign of luxury, leaf tea, made in a silver 54-page booklet entitled County Fare was
pot and served in the finest bone china. handed out from the WI stand at The Ideal
Victoria and her ladies-in-waiting enjoyed Home Exhibition with over 130 recipes for
this new meal as the perfect filler for the regional specialities, such as Guernsey Gache
long gap between luncheon and dinner – and and Monmouth Pudding, alongside detailed
afternoon tea parties became all the rage. leaflets on breadmaking and pastry skills.

This protection of our culinary

heritage has been one of the most
vital functions of the WI
The social side of meetings was very Mrs Beeton’s classic recipe for a Victoria
important in the 20th Century for the sandwich once more appeared in print in
members of the newly established WI. A Mrs the pages of The Constance Spry Cookbook
Nugent Harris wrote in Home & Country in (1956) and a year later a chocolate version
1919 that ‘members of an Institute get to appeared in Norfolk Federation’s 1957
know each other best when they meet for cookbook More Good Recipes. Finally, a year
social intercourse’. In her view, the simplest later, the classic Standard Victoria Sandwich
way to achieve that is with ‘the Institute tea’. makes its first appearance on page 64 of The
She reminds readers that ‘tea-time should Berkshire Federation Cookery Book.
be the informal part of the meeting, when a WI members have been cooking it ever
real neighbourly chat can be enjoyed’. since. As a competition cake, it is the ultimate
As ingredients such as sugar, eggs and test for bakers – the simple ingredients and
butter, restricted by war, began to come back method allow no hiding place for sloppy
into the shops members started to bake and techniques or poor quality ingredients. It’s
preserve once more, and also educate those also used to check how new ovens perform.
whose domestic skills might be lacking. Detailed guidelines for making the Victoria
Federation news of those early years sandwich for competition are set out in the
includes details of ‘guessing the weight of the NFWI Education Committee’s handbook On
cake’ and bottling and preserving fruit. with the Show:
This desire to educate and preserve n May be baked in one or two tins
essential skills and traditions saw local n No cooling rack marks on top or bottom
federations produce their own cookery books surface
in the inter-war years. These recorded all n Traditional filling raspberry jam, Do you know of an earlier
kinds of regional recipes and dishes. This sufficient and evenly spread example of the WI Victoria
protection of our culinary heritage has been n Light sprinkling of caster sugar on top Sandwich? If you have a
seen as one of the most vital functions of the n Pale golden colour, evenly baked published recipe dated before
WI. The celebrated food writer Elizabeth n Texture fine, even 1957, please email wilife@
David, in her 1977 English Bread and Yeast n Flavour delicate, characteristic, nfwi.org.uk with the subject
Cookery, acknowledged that ‘recipes have with no strong flavour predominating line ‘Victoria Sandwich’,
been preserved, recorded and published… A cup of tea and a slice of cake are just
tweet @WILifeMagazine
owing to the initiative of the ladies of the as integral to the success of many WI
Women’s Institute’.
using #VictoriaSandwich or
meetings today as in 1919. Although Mrs
Amongst the many recipes for cakes of Nugent Harris might be taken aback by write to: ‘Victoria Sandwich’,
all styles that appear in WI publications are 21st Century WIs meeting in cocktail bars, WI Life, 104 New King’s
countless variations on sponges. In 1950, let alone sharing their baking successes or Road, London, SW6 4LY
Yorkshire Federation proudly published the disasters on Facebook, a good cake is still
25th edition of its cookbook, Seven Hundred appreciated by members old and new.

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 VINTAGE RECIPES
These recipes are from WI federation
cookbooks. The original appears first,
followed by an updated version. The first
reference to Queen Victoria’s taste for
sponge cake is in this recipe from Secrets of
some Wiltshire Housewives, 1927.
Gold and Silver cakes
(These cakes are said to have been great
favourites with Queen Victoria)
Edwardian
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THE SILVER CAKE
Silver cake n 1/4lb butter 1 Beat the butter to a cream and add the
n 1/4lb sugar. Then add the flour and whites of
powdered sugar eggs in alternate spoonfuls.
n 6oz finest 2 Mix very well, add a teaspoonful of
sifted flour essence of almonds, and some finely
n whites of 5 powdered almonds.
eggs, well beaten 3 Baking powder to be put in last.
to a stiff froth TO MAKE THE GOLD CAKE
n large tsp Take the yolks of the 5 eggs, beat up
baking powder thoroughly and make exactly the same
as the silver cake, adding two (not one)
teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Flavour
with a glass of whisky, or add ½ teaspoonful
of sal volatile. H Longden, Milton

Modern Silver cake

Makes one 18cm round cake Prep 20 minutes
Cook 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR BOTH CAKES

n 125g butter n 1 tsp baking powder
Edwardian n 125g caster sugar n 5 large egg whites
Gold cake n ½ tsp almond essence n 2 tbsp ground almonds
n 175g plain flour n 2–3 tbsp milk

1 Preheat the oven to 1800C/fan oven 1600C/gas mark 4. Cream

the butter with the sugar until pale and light, then stir in the
almond essence.
2 Sift the flour with the baking powder. Whisk the egg whites
until holding peaks, then fold into the creamed mixture
alternating with the flour, ground almonds and milk to give a
soft-dropping consistency.
3 Spoon into a buttered and base-lined 18cm round sandwich
cake tin. Level the surface. Bake for 30 minutes until firm and pale
golden. Turn out and cool on a wire rack. Serve as it is, dusted
with silver powder, or split and sandwich with lemon curd and
whipped cream.

Modern Gold cake

Makes one 18cm round – or square – cake
Prep 20 minutes Cook 30 – 40 minutes

To make the gold cake follow the silver cake recipe above but
omit the almond essence and use 2tsp baking powder. Instead of
adding the egg whites, beat in the yolks of 5 eggs after creaming
the butter and sugar. Fold in the flour and baking powder with
three to four tablespoons of whisky. Finish and cook as above.
You can make this cake in a square 18cm tin as an alternative.
Cool and serve plain, dusted with gold powder, or topped with
whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

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 WIWILife
LifeFebruary 20153737
February2015

1950s Chocolate Victoria sponge Modern Chocolate fairy cakes

Taken from More Good Recipes, 1957 by Norfolk I’ve chosen to turn the recipe into simple fairy cakes. Makes 16.
Federation. The Victoria sponge (not sandwich!) Prep 15 mins. Cook 18 – 20 minutes
received its first name check in a WI publication.
INGREDIENTS METHOD
INGREDIENTS METHOD n 125g caster sugar 1 Preheat the oven to 1800C/fan oven 1600C/
n 6 oz self raising flour 1 Place margarine or butter n 125g butter gas mark 4. Arrange paper cases in bun tins.
n ¼ lb fine sugar in a mixing bowl and cream n 1/2 tsp almond Cream the butter with the sugar and almond
n 1 tbsp hot water well. Add well beaten eggs essence (you can use essence until pale and light. Add the eggs
n 1 tsp almond essence and a little flour at a time to vanilla instead) a little at a time and a little flour to prevent
n ¼ lb margarine or prevent curdling. Fold in other n 2 large eggs, beaten curdling. Sift the flour and cocoa and fold in,
butter ingredients. n 175g self-raising flour adding the milk to give a soft consistency.
n 2 large eggs 2 Place mixture in a greased n 1 tbsp cocoa powder 2 Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and
n 1 tbsp chocolate tin (previously sprinkled with n 1–2 tbsp milk bake for 18 – 20 minutes until well risen and
powder flour and sugar), and bake in ICING firm to touch. Cool on a wire rack.
n Pinch of salt a moderate oven for 15 to 20 n 75g icing sugar, sifted 3 For the icing, melt the chocolate in a basin
ICING minutes. n 90g plain chocolate set over hot water (don’t allow to boil). Stir
n ¼ lb icing sugar 3 Sift icing sugar, add chocolate n 15g butter in the butter until melted, then add the icing
n 1 to 2 tbsps milk powder and milk and mix well. n chocolate flakes sugar to give a smooth shiny icing. Dip the
n 1 tbsp chocolate Spread on top of the cake. or chocolate coated cakes in the icing to coat. Put a chocolate
powder Mrs Stone, Kenninghall almonds to decorate flake or almond on top and leave to set.

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 B

WI Life February 2015 38

WI Cookbook:
The First 100 Years
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1970s Chocolate and Modern Chocolate and peppermint cake

peppermint cake Make this cake as colourful and fun as possible for a real taste of the 1970s.
From the Derbyshire Federation Recipe Book Makes one 20cm cake. Prep 15 mins. Cook 25 mins
1974. This is a Victoria sandwich in all INGREDIENTS METHOD
but name – the method and ingredients all n 175g softened 1 Preheat the oven to 1800C/fan oven, 1600F/ gas mark 4.
fit the classic model. butter or soft Grease and then base-line two 20cm sandwich tins with
margarine baking parchment.
INGREDIENTS METHOD n 175g caster sugar 2 Cream the butter and sugar together until very pale and
n 6 oz soft 1 Mix main ingredients together n 3 large eggs fluffy. Beat the eggs then gradually add to the mixture a
margarine for two minutes. Divide in half. n 175g self tablespoon at a time, beating well with each addition.
n 6oz sugar 2 To one half add green raising flour 3 Sieve the flour and gently fold into the mixture to give a
n 6 oz self colouring and two or three n 1 tsp baking soft dropping consistency. Divide the mixture in half. Mix the
raising flour drops of peppermint essence. powder cocoa to a paste with a tablespoon of boiling water and fold it
n 1 tbsp 3 To the other half add one tbsp n 1 tbsp cocoa into one half, then add mint extract and green colouring to the
cocoa cocoa with one tbsp hot water. n 2 -3 drops other to give quite a good strong colour. Put the mint mixture
n 3 eggs 4 In two sandwich tins (seven peppermint into one tin, the chocolate into the other, and level the surface,
n 1 ½ level or eight inches) pipe alternate extract or to taste making a slight hollow in the centre to allow the cakes to rise.
tsps baking rings of the two colours or just n green food 4 Bake for 25 – 30 minutes on the same shelf in the oven until
powder spoon into the tins. colouring well risen. The cakes should have shrunk from the sides of the
n Green 5 Bake for approximately 25 tin and spring back when touched. Remove from the tins.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE
colouring minutes 3500F. Regulo 4 a Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
BUTTERCREAM:
n Essence of third of the way down the oven. 5 For the buttercream, beat the butter until softened, then
n 40g butter, softened
peppermint 6 Allow to cool and decorate beat in the icing sugar and cocoa. Continue beating until
n 85g icing sugar,
with chocolate butter icing pale and fluffy. When the cakes are cold, sandwich with
sifted
and vermicelli or green and chocolate butter icing.
n 1 tbsp cocoa, sifted
brown icing. 6 For the glacé icing, mix the icing sugar and cocoa and
FOR THE CHOCOLATE
GLACÉ ICING: add a tablespoon or so of hot water to give a coating
n 125g icing sugar consistency. Pour over the top of the cake and spread to the
n 1 tbsp cocoa edges. Decorate with chocolate curls or a crumbled mint
n chocolate curls chocolate bar or make two-tone butter icing and a green
to decorate and chocolate glacé icing for a 1970s effect.

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