I baked the same cakes from Mary Berry and James Martin — but one tasted the best. I tried Mary Berry's Victoria sponge recipe and James Martin's Victoria sponge recipe to find out which cake came out on top in my Victoria sponge cake comparison.
Victoria sponge cakes are a traditional bake that suits most people's preferences. Whenever I prepare a Victoria sandwich cake, I consistently tend towards Mary Berry's all-in-one approach - it delivers a flawless sponge that never disappoints.
Nevertheless, I was curious to discover how other celebrity chef recipes measured up. With this objective, I tested James Martin's classic Victoria sponge cake recipe and was genuinely taken aback by how excellent both versions turned out.
James Martin boasts an array of outstanding recipes, and one I'm particularly fond of is his Swiss roll recipe, which proved remarkably straightforward to create. While I had high expectations for his Victoria sponge cake, I remained unsure whether it could rival or surpass Mary Berry's version. After all, she's recognised as the Queen of British baking for good reason.
Mary Berry's Victoria Sponge Cake
Mary Berry's Victoria sponge cake recipe is remarkably uncomplicated. You simply combine all the required ingredients in a bowl and blend them - either by hand or with an electric mixer - before dividing the mixture between two small tins and placing them in the oven.
She suggests baking the cakes at 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4 for 20 to 25 minutes; however, I found the cakes require slightly longer at this reduced temperature. I find the sponges emerge perfectly after 30 minutes.
After being baked, cooled and put together, Mary Berry's Victoria sponge cake yielded light, fluffy and airy outcomes. I also appreciated how evenly both sponge layers had risen, which greatly enhanced the texture.
James Martin's Victoria Sponge Cake
While still relatively straightforward, James Martin's Victoria sponge recipe demands a few additional steps and ingredients.
Rather than using the all-in-one method, James suggests creaming the butter, sugar and vanilla essence together first, before beating in the eggs individually and carefully folding in the sifted flour at the end.
He also advises baking the cakes for 20 to 25 minutes, though at a slightly elevated temperature of 190°C/170°C Fan/Gas 5.
Rather than simply opting for jam and cream as a filling, James recommends incorporating raspberries into the centre. This proved to be a brilliant addition, lending the cake a wonderful freshness and a pleasing sharpness that beautifully offset the sweetness.
As for the sponge itself, it was utterly delicious and remarkably moist, though it turned out fairly dense, particularly the top layer.
Results
All things considered, both Victoria sandwich cakes tasted absolutely wonderful, but Mary Berry must take the crown as the clear winner, as her sponge turned out considerably superior.
