I have a hilarious friend, Buxom Wench, who is honest when she is telling me how it is.
When she first met me, she looked at me up and down and said “You look better in photographs, much better than you do in real life.”
I had to laugh. I don’t mind honesty when I know that the person from whom it comes isn’t offering it from a malicious perspective and it is really just how they feel or think. Although considering I don’t really like the way I look in photos, it made me wonder… Mr NQN is the same way, he is down to earth and at times, frustratingly honest. If I make something that needs improving he will tell me that in no uncertain terms and if something looks a bit silly, he will also tell me that. By way of uncontrollable laughter.
I don’t love that so much 
When I bought the new Peggy Porschen “Boutique Baking” book I quickly flicked through it and my gaze fell upon this Victoria Sponge cake decorated with pretty Victorian scrolls. It was so pink and girly that I fell instantly in love and went on to bake and decorate it, my enthusiasm unchecked with my abilities, well it’s about effort isn’t it? I showed Mr NQN the finished cake and he said “yeah, it looks ok” and then when I showed him Peggy’s version his opinion wavered. “Oh right, yeah she’s really good isn’t she?” giving my cake a pitying look and an unenviable cluck.
I immediately thought of mother’s day for this cake as it was pretty but still light enough to have after a celebratory meal. The sponge that Peggy made was a Victorian sponge but because I still have a slight fear of sponge, I did my usual sponge cake instead. It is a duck egg sponge as I found myself with the fortune of having some duck eggs although you could use chicken eggs too.
Each of the two sponge cakes is split in two and brushed with sugar syrup to make them moist and they are then filled with strawberry jam and vanilla speckled buttercream. Before you know it, you’re getting ready to sculpt and pipe Peggy Porschen style. I will preface this by saying that it isn’t easy but it is not impossible and the cooler weather that we’re experiencing in Sydney will help in that regard. I wouldn’t try to do this in hot weather unless you have strong air conditioning. And if your decorating efforts fall short of expectations, you needn’t share this with anyone as it makes a small cake and one that you could eat on your own or with your mum. Mums tend to understand these sorts of things 
Oh and I have some absolutely delightful news! I just found out last week that I am a finalist in the Sydney Writer’s Centre Best Australian Blogs 2012 award! I did a happy dance as soon as I heard that-thank you so so much to everyone that nominated me. The other blog finalists are wonderfully talented and I am honoured to be part of the finalists. And there is just eight more days until the People’s Choice award closes. If you do have a spare moment, I would dearly love and appreciate it if you could vote for me there It is sort of like the blogging version of “The Voice” which I am currently addicted to .
So tell me Dear Reader, do you like the way you look in photos and do you like being photographed? Have you perfected a photo ready pose? And I have to ask, are you watching The Voice and who is your favourite so far?
Pink Victorian Sponge
Inspired by Peggy Porschen
Makes a tall 10cm diameter sponge cake, for a regular, larger sized cake, double the recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 duck eggs (medium sized 420g are fine) or 5 large chicken eggs at room temperature
- 1/3 cup caster/superfine sugar
- 1/3 cup plain flour
- 1/4 cup custard powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- A little butter and flour to grease the tins
- 2 sponge tins or 2 springform tines in the same size
Filling:
- 6 tablespoons strawberry jam
- Sugar syrup*
- 250g butter, softened
- 400g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 little pink food colouring (I used Americolor in ‘Dusty Rose’)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- pink cachous or nonpareils
2. Meanwhile, sift the flour and custard powder three times. Each time, do it at a bit of a height and tap the side of the sieve with the heel of your hand or use your wrist to shake it back and forth (rather than pressing down on the flour with a spoon).
3. When the egg mixture is ready, ensure that the oven is at the correct temperature. Have everything ready as the timing is crucial now. Sift the flour into the mixture while someone else folds the mixture underneath. This helps to avoid the lumps. Use the up, down and under folding motion (do not stir). It folds easily and should be able to be incorporated easily. Quickly spoon it into the tins and bake in the centre row of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. It should spring back slightly when touched and the edges should pull back from the tin.
4. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes and then remove from the tin gently and cool on a wire rack. You can wrap these in cling wrap once cool and decorate it the next day.
5. Slice off the tops of the sponge and for the middle layers you want the top and the bottom of the layers to not have any “crusts” or colour on them so trim the top and bottom for these too.
6. Make buttercream by beating the butter until smooth and then adding the icing sugar, food colouring and vanilla paste until it becomes a smooth, fluffy texture. You don’t want this too stiff as it will be hard to pipe so add a teaspoon of milk if you need to (although the ratio of butter to icing sugar ensures that it isn’t too stiff).
7. Place the sponge cake on a turntable (I don’t have one so I did it directly onto the cake stand) and brush generously with the sugar syrup to keep it moist and spread with some of the buttercream or the jam-even though I did one layer of jam and two of buttercream I would recommend doing it the other way around as the jam has a great flavour and you already have a lot of buttercream.
8. Top with another layer and spread this with jam or buttercream (alternate the fillings). Repeat until you have a stack of cakes sandwiched together.
9. Make the crumb coat which is to catch all the stray crumbs in a layer. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the top and sides of the cake. You should not make this too thick and you should be able to see the crumbs through this layer. Using a metal icing scraper (I used a dough cutter because I don’t have a metal icing scraper but the dough scraper isn’t perfect) scrape the sides of the cake (this is where a turntable would really come in handy). The better the crumb coat, the better the shape of the final cake. Refrigerate for one hour.
10. Spread more buttercream for the final coating and using a clean metal scraper make sure that the sides are as smooth as possible.
11. OK it’s not perfect but it will do. Refrigerate for an hour (this helps set the buttercream and if you make a mistake with the next step, it is possible to quickly remove any piped buttercream errors. Tint the rest of the buttercream a smidgen darker with the dusty rose food colouring and place in a piping bag with a medium sized star nozzle fitted to it.
12. Pipe Victorian scrolls on top and other patterns (you can really do whatever pattern you like). Then on the sides, pipe the fleur de lys pattern starting from the wider end of the piping pattern. This is much easier if you practice this beforehand as it is hard to do. Pipe around the base too if desired. Use pink cachous or nonpareils between the fleur de lys and on top.
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87 Comments | Add your own
I have so much catching up to do here..so many posts I missed. This cake is stunning. If I liked my mother I’d surely make it for her on Mother’s Day, but a friend is having a baby girl in a few months, so I think it would be ideal. That said, I LOL’d at You look better in photographs, much better than you do in real life.” A few years ago I was getting my mails done at a salon and the woman next to me was showing the manicurist photos from her vacation, and the manicurist said the exact same thing. I still refer back to it because I was shocked! Regardless, there’s no way you can look that gorgeous in your photo and not be gorgeous
BTW, is your friend really named Buxom Wench, or is that just a nick you have for her here? lol
So pretty! I am a big fan of Victoria sponges. A wonderful classic.
cheers,
Rosa
Such an adorable cake….I’d love to serve it at a ladies luncheon. You’re right, Lorraine, very girly.
Photographs? I hate them. I run and hide. The one thing I have learned is to keep your chin down when the camera is clicking.
Congrats on being chosen…can I vote? I’ll go and see.
I think your cake looks gorgeous, Lorraine. And it looks absolutely mouth watering too. I’m going to set this recipe aside form my niece’s birthday in December, she is really a girly girl too.
Congrats on your nomination, I hope you win!
I am told that I take very good photos, although I’ve never really liked myself in them!
Eva kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com
Gorgeous! Definitely in line with the Victorian panache for opulent and over the top afternoon teas. That sponge looks sooo perfectly moist!
Wow that is a work of art! I love Peggy Porschen’s cakes – I was lucky enough to visit her cake parlour here in London – yum! I must be the only person on earth who has not watched the Voice!
I’m not sure this would work but I would have not be able to resist a few drops of rosewater in all that pink buttercream icing
for some reason, i never liked anything with buttercream on top. or ganache. but nevertheless, i can imagine how difficult must it be to make a nice fluffy sponge cake! good job!
Oh, aww, oh… it is so beautiful and so good! Lovely cake Lorraine!
I think your Victorian sponge is great looking. What a great recipe. Looks like it was fun to make, too. Perfect for mother’s day–or a little girl’s birthday, and I have one in mind. Re: photographs. I hate the way I look in photos, but saw a short video interview recently, and that was much worse.. it continued making me look bad. Do I look like that?
Congrats on the blog honors! Well deserved.
I think your cake looks fantastic Lorraine – pay Mr NQN no heed in this regard. Congrats on getting to the blog award finals.
Duck eggs…really? I never see duck eggs in a market here.
Your cake looks wonderful, ok, Peggy is Peggy, we can make thing very close at what she does but I think she really has great skills for cake decorating…and to make roses…
I think I look the same as in pictures, and I like to be photographed but please, not as surprise, I have to prepare myself for that.
What an amazing effort on that sponge! It looks incredible – so much better than just okay. Piping horizontally is hard enough, let alone the vertical challenge. I think it’s wonderful that you look better on camera – so do all those Hollywood actors and a lot of them say people they always get that shocked look and comment, ‘Oh, you look so much better on film’. xx
This cake is sensational – just looking at its soft fluffy crumbiness and that gorgeous pink frosting has me absolutely melting
Love your site so much!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I love the voice too. I can’t believe that I am addicted to it. I think the judges are great (Keith is HOT). But the visually impaired girl is my favourite! She is so sweet. And you cake….it takes the cake! and good luck – I have already voted for you. It is my daily dose of entertainment!
Far too pretty to eat!
What a sweet little cake and congrats on being a finalist. I am loving The Voice too, especially the duo who sang “Somewhere over the Rainbow” last night!
YOu know the first thing which attracted me to this cake was the color…
I am still a girly girly pink type…LOL
This looks absolutely wonderful!! I love the recipe will try it for sure…
B/W my husband is beyond nice honest, I call him brutal blunt honest… Solution I have stopped asking his opinion….But he gives anyways..LOL
Firstly, congratulations on being nominated, Lorraine! That is wonderful news. Good luck and I hope you win! xo
And that Cake looks gorgeous. PAir it with a cup of tea and you might have your very own high tea
That looks so cute! Congratulations on making it to the award finals – you definitely deserve it with all of the work that you put in. Can’t wait to see you take away a prize
This is a delightful cake! I just read your recipe for duck egg sponge and now I want to run out and buy duck eggs!
Um wow, that is more than ok!! will defineately vote for you , thanks as always for sharing xo
Not nowadays do I sve my photo taken,i hate having my photo taken. I usually the photo taker.
Your cake looks lovely
This is another one of your amazing confections–I think Mr. NQN must be spoiled! Lovely!
I have only two looks in photos, a big grin or a smirk. No, I am not fond of either. I don’t watch The Voice, but I did vote for you and your wonderful blog!
What a sweet little cake. I love anything that comes in miniature. I have always hated having my photo taken and think that I look better in real life. But I have come to realise that over the years I have always been the one behind the camera. I have three beautiful sons and it has taken me until the last one to realise that any photo of me with my boys should be treasured, because they will grow up too fast and leave the nest. I now ask to have my photo taken with them instead cringing and protesting!
Teehee – My man is also brutally honest at times. I welcome it though, it’s better than needless flattery that only inflates your ego but does nothing for improving yourself/your skills etc.
And speaking of looking better in photos vs “IRL” – I met the Mr online and only had a small snapshot to go on at first. The photo was okay – he wasn’t unattractive at all…but I was most pleased that he looked MUCH more handsome in the flesh.
Your cake is gorgeous! Sponge, buttercream, jam… Beautiful. I would happily devour it. If Paul thinks something I made needs improving he says “it’s not your best effort…”. Tsk
Love The Voice! Don’t have a favourite yet though.
I find as I’m getting older I’m disliking photos of myself more and more – boo
Wow, those sponges are beautiful. I might try custard powder… or duck eggs…. or I might ask you to make it
a gorheous cake – and congrats on being a finalist!!!!
Congrats on making it to the blog finalists L, as if there was ever any doubt! I hope you win as you truly are, a dedicated blogger. I used to think I looked OK in photos in my teenage years and now, I only like the way I look in the photos since having a baby belly. Before then, not so much. I don’t like those kind of shows like the voice. They bore me and I can’t stand the vanity and ego of the judges.
Congratulations on the nomination Lorraine!
Such a sweet little cake…
That’s one tiny cake. It looks great though, while I love pretty cakes, I prefer the more non perfect looking to actually eat. I’m pretty much like your friend in the honesty department, can’t be bothered with fake compliments and stuff.
Aw I think it looks great. Much better than I could manage that’s for sure!
Effort is right, but not too much….remember the Mother’s Day Rhubarb cake? that was a bit of effort
and i loved it. I will definitely make this.
thanks for your effort!!
This cake looks so beautiful and girly, just stunning
I was so carried away by your cake that forgot to tell you: I am so happy for you to be selected as a finalist for an award! I am keeping my fingers crossed for you! Congratulations! You really deserved to win, you are the best.
Hi Lorraine, This cake really looks delicious. I have a lovely no fail sponge receipe which I have been making for about 40 years. It’s a real family favourite. Believe me, I am not really light handed when I make it but it always turns out. I am happy to share the receipe with you, just email back to me.
Cheers, Pam
That looks lovely (not to mention tasty)! Congrats on being a finalist
I think I look better in photos, provided it catches me on the right angle. Some angles are just baaaad but others work out fine.
Absolutely fantastic about you being a finalist! I do not wish to jinx the result, but . . . oh, lady . . . .
[And, yes, I have a couple of photo 'poses' which seem to do the trick, and, regarding 'The Voice', no, as I was taught in economics, there is such a thing as 'opportunity cost of time': one cannot be in two places at the same time
! ]
Well, I think that it looks pretty cute, I didn’t see the book and the original, but it isn’t easy to pipe on the side of a small cake, I know that!
And I like that pink!
Ciao
Alessandra
i love tall, layered cakes especially that its pink! yours is so pretty
Very pretty! and so light and fluffy. It looks like a very Australian sponge cake rather than a British one – when I met E he used to tell me he loved sponge but not my mum’s one – it turned out that the sponge he had in scotland was quite different from ours – British sponge is more buttery and sturdy – and I think that Australian sponge is harder to make because it relies so much on the eggs being well beaten to make it rise. So I was wondering if Peggy’s sponge recipe was as difficult as you feared?
Goodness me, what a rude friend you have! I hope you made her suffer..
LOL People can be so blunt when they want to be well-meaning. I still remember as a teen when I’d slink into the kitchen and my Mom would in no certain terms say, “You have a zit on your forehead!” Uh, as if I didn’t know? Gee, thanks, Mom! (hah)
Haha, I hate the way I look in photos, so I am hoping that I look better in person! At least I’d like to think so or else … I don’t wanna know! Your sponge looks beautiful! Sigh….. I can make macarons but I still haven’t conquered the sponge!
OMGosh, this cakes looks good. I like the height and all the layers, yum yum. (Duck eggs, not something found in my fridge ever). It takes me 100 pics to get one I like. People do recognize me from my profile photo, but I wonder if I disappoint them.
Congratulations on your nomination – I just voted for you. Just love your blog!
I cannot stand brutally honest people. Some people just have no filter!
As long as it tastes good that is all that matters! Congrats on being in the finals. And, I hate the way I look in photos
Cute! I think that’s a pretty good icing effort!
I tried making a Peggy Porschen cake before, but found it soooo sweet, with the sponge cake, sugar syrup AND sugary buttercream!
As an Asian girl, of COURSE I have a photo-ready pose!
For me it’s a big cheesy grin (“peace” sign optional).
Seriously I love that cake! Such girly fun and elegance all rolled into one
I prefer to catch glimpses of myself through my loved ones eyes than be confronted with a static image. My family may not always flatter me, but they’re generally more forgiving than a camera lens!
Oh and good luck with the comp, you certainly deserve to win indeed!
I think that cake looks pretty damn accomplished! I certainly couldn’t manage that. My husband is a super keen photographer, so I am used to being clicked at all the time… I’m also used to having editorial control and not allowing him to use any photos of me that I have not expressly approved!
Mr NQN sounds exactly like my fiance. My fiance never hesitates to tell me when something needs improving, and while I love the feedback sometimes it can be upsetting when you’ve spent hours making something. I’d rather he be honest with me than be nice so as to not hurt my feelings.
By the way, I think your cake looks fantastic!!
And I’m like you, I don’t like how I look in photos. But I do have a couple of photo “poses” I like. My fiance laughs at me every time I use them though because he thinks I don’t need them.
That cake looks beautiful!!! I voted for you
I absolutely hate getting my photo taken!! Hehe im sure it’s a teenager thing though
I used to love the camera… but now, not so much!
I’ve just been sent a review copy of that book and did think the Victoria sponge looked particularly impressive. I think your attempt is awesome – great job!
your sponge cakes look so dainty and cute! i have a fear of making sponge cakes -.- after many failed attempts.. once i muster up the courage, i’ll attempt this recipe
wish i had a never-fail photo pose! i just know i have a good side and a bad side haha
What a gorgeous cake, TRUE!
And WHO would not LOVE a mum’s day cake made with quack, quack eggs too! lol
Must admit re photos, I DO …do “the pose”,
But then again, I suppose,
Have learnt it does not matter HOW they come out anymore, TRUE!
As the photo not only represents people at an event that is now recorded in my memory,
But whether it is a good photo, bad photo, or fuzzy one indeed…will be a reminder to amile and just say “Ahhhhhhhh” when am 103!
Was blown away by Mahalia Barnes re the Voice,but what do I know, TRUE!
While the initial round was a BLIND audition, they (in my opinion) were and are obviously LOOKING, listening and have in mind who the ultimate winner and the outcomes is too…Sometimes feel like the format is along the lines of the TV show THE CONTENDER, TRUE!
It’s a lovely looking cake! Mr NQN is just too accustomed to your high standards and is getting fussy
Lorraine,
That is simply gorgeous!!! And I love a good sponge, especially when it’s that pretty and pink
Simply divine!
Ohhh this is such a pretty cake hehe I love mini cakes
it’s just so much prettier! I ve actually never seen a recipe that uses duck eggs~ does it taste any different?
As for photos I don’t really mind taking them but I haven’t really found ones that I really like hehe
what a stunning looking sponge!! pretty pink, I die. haha your friend sounds hilarious, I have a friend who is honest like that. she’s my beautician and whenever I see her she strokes my eyebrows & tells me what’s wrong with my hair
I love it, she’s so honest. & I must be the only person in the country not watching the voice!
Heidi xo
This cake is SO pretty!! Love the colour.
Hi Lorraine, very pretty but looks too difficult for me!! I love reading your anecdotes about you and Mr NQN, they are very entertaining and at times you both remind me of my husband and I
Good luck and hope you win, you would be a desrving winner.
I love those tall cakes… something about them feels so Alice in Wonderland tea party-like. I thought you did a splendid job and I’ve tagged the recipe for duck egg cake… never thought to try that before.
Congrats on the nomination… you have my vote, hands down. You should also get the hardest working blogger award… what you accomplish is remarkable!!
Good luck for the Best Blog thingie: you deserve to win! As for the cake, my sister was all swoons over it, being the girly-girl that she is and her current fascination with pink taken into consideration.
Gorgeous cake, Lorraine. You’ve got my vote too
I think this cake looks delightful- girly, pink, delicate, what more could you ask for?
what a wonderful pink colour.. i love to have the whole cake by myself.
Wow, those baked sponge cakes are huge! And despite what Mr. NQN says, you did an admirable job frosting this cake – far better than I would have accomplished. I really detest frosting and force my bf to take on the duty when frosting is required – he has previous experience
And congrats on being a finalist – that’s impressive news.
I mostly feel cameras don’t like me, but I have yet to discover a perfect pose for the camera to improve things…
I too have a friend that is like this…the good thing is that she will never talk behind you since she is to straight forward
Before I forget…congratulations on being in the finalist.
The cake looks beautiful…I love the decoration and the pastel pink. You are very talented Lorraine.
Hope you are having a wonderful week!
I think you’ve done an amazing job. Stunning stuff. So sad to be missing The Voice. As for photos- I hate them. Will never, ever get used to seeing them of me…
Ooooh, maybe if you win you’ll get to hang out with Keith and Joel and Seal!
(Delta makes me want to scratch my eyeballs out, which in turn makes me angry because I am SO SICK of the token women on these shows being so EURGH.)
Which I guess answers your question – yes I’m watching, although I never meant to – I’ve never watched any of the other singing reality shows that exist!
Oh, and I really don’t like how I look in photos. I just look stilted and wrong and my head looks wonky all the time.
How have you been? I’ve seen your post through email but have been busy and didn’t have a chance to stop by. I really wanted to pin this cake. So impressed by your detail work. I’d be so nervous to slice the cake perfectly for a photo shoot. =D GORGEOUS cake!!!
so pretty =)
Utterly divine, I could eat this in one sitting! But wont as I’m trying to lose weight gained over the last year.
Am enjoying the Voice and it’s great to see some great talent in Australia , the final two will be exciting to watch.
The camera has always been my friend and I have had some really nice pics taken in the past and I have a friend who hates photographs taken of her, consequently her hand is the most photographed part of her body, lol. Now that I have put weight on I don’t like having my photo taken and there’s a really unflattering one taken at Christmas where a group of us all went for a stroll after a huge lunch. It was the back view , oh dear not good Matilda, not good!
I haven’t used duck eggs for baking before, is there much difference in the taste?
I thought your cake was really pretty. I hate posing for photographs and always look worse in posed ones.
Lovely cake & beautifully decorated with pretty Victorian scrolls. The color is simply amazing!
pretty in pink! congrats on your recognition–i hope you go all the way.
Your little cake is DARLING! I love all the layers and the fillings too! Good Luck in the voting!
I don’t usually like photos taken of me:( Once in a while they turn out okay:)
This cake is too pretty to eat, it reminds me of the cakes in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. I get a sugar rush just watching that film.
ps. I voted for you.
The cake look so good – I made it and I have to say the sponge cake itself was fantastic – so moist even though there is no fat at all! The buttercream was a bit difficult and it didn’t taste as good as just the cake along with the jam, my guests and I just ate the cake (not the buttercream) so next time I’m going to make it and use fresh cream and berries instead of the buttercream. Yum! Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh – I forgot to mention – to make it more simple I also used persian fairy floss ontop which worked a treat and looked fantastic too.
How adorable! I love all that delightful pinkness!
Hi everyone! thanks for voting for me-alas I didn’t win but I really appreciate your vote
Katrina, I’m so glad that you liked it and fresh cream and berries is a great idea and the Persian fairy floss is inspired!
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