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Post by Bridget in MD on Dec 8, 2019 0:14:51 GMT
My DD has to make a "traditional Victorian sponge cake" for her AP Lit class. I sent her recipes from Mary Berry (we watch the GBBO series), but that one was vanilla and raspberry, and DD wanted a chocolate recipe, and found this one (also BMary Berry tho): www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/definitivechocolatec_72226 It calls for Caster sugar, and when i clicked on the link, it says "This is the British term for sugar with small grains that are between granulated and icing sugar in terms of fineness." www.bbc.co.uk/food/caster_sugarUm, ok, so is it POWDERED sugar? kind of looks like it in the picture...? TIA! |
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Post by kiwikate on Dec 8, 2019 0:17:20 GMT
You might know it as Baker's Sugar? It is somewhere between granulated sugar and powdered sugar. If you can't find it I would use regular white sugar. We use is in baking for very light cakes.
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Post by lucyg on Dec 8, 2019 0:36:33 GMT
I use the baker’s sugar for everything. Love it because it dissolves easily. I would definitely use that for a recipe calling for caster sugar.
(It’s what used to be called superfine sugar, but they changed the name some years ago. At least, our local sugar company C&H did.)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2019 0:52:04 GMT
If you can’t find it just put some sugar in a food processor. A couple of pulses will give you fine sugar.
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Post by AussieMeg on Dec 8, 2019 0:52:11 GMT
I thought this was a joke thread LOL! I had NO IDEA that is wasn't called caster sugar everywhere. Although I probably should have known, because I know that Americans have a different name for icing sugar (powdered / confectioners sugar). WTF is Caster Sugar: "In the United States, caster sugar is often called superfine sugar, baker's sugar, or bar sugar." |
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Dec 8, 2019 0:53:01 GMT
Casters sugar is between white granulated and powdered sugar.
You can put regular white sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times.
Domino’s makes a fine white sugar, it’s usually sold in a pourable plastic tall skinny container (a lot of offices use it at coffee stations).
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milocat
Drama Llama
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Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
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Post by milocat on Dec 8, 2019 1:00:45 GMT
It's superfine here in Canada. That's what Rogers sugar calls it, which seems to be a very common brand.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2019 1:19:41 GMT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2019 1:57:38 GMT
My DD has to make a "traditional Victorian sponge cake" for her AP Lit class. I sent her recipes from Mary Berry (we watch the GBBO series), but that one was vanilla and raspberry, and DD wanted a chocolate recipe, and found this one (also BMary Berry tho): www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/definitivechocolatec_72226 It calls for Caster sugar, and when i clicked on the link, it says "This is the British term for sugar with small grains that are between granulated and icing sugar in terms of fineness." www.bbc.co.uk/food/caster_sugarUm, ok, so is it POWDERED sugar? kind of looks like it in the picture...? TIA! You can use ordinary sugar if you can't find extra fine but make sure you give it that extra beating when mixed with the other ingredients to break down the crystals. Or as others have said, pulse it but make sure you don't over pulse it otherwise it would become powdered sugar. |
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Post by Bridget in MD on Dec 8, 2019 2:27:53 GMT
I thought this was a joke thread LOL! I had NO IDEA that is wasn't called caster sugar everywhere. Although I probably should have known, because I know that Americans have a different name for icing sugar (powdered / confectioners sugar). WTF is Caster Sugar: "In the United States, caster sugar is often called superfine sugar, baker's sugar, or bar sugar." LOL! nope, not a joke! I've never heard of this before! Well, hopefully it' easy to find bc I'd like her to bake these suckers tomorrow! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2019 3:11:38 GMT
My DD has to make a "traditional Victorian sponge cake" for her AP Lit class. I sent her recipes from Mary Berry (we watch the GBBO series), but that one was vanilla and raspberry, and DD wanted a chocolate recipe, and found this one (also BMary Berry tho): www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/definitivechocolatec_72226 It calls for Caster sugar, and when i clicked on the link, it says "This is the British term for sugar with small grains that are between granulated and icing sugar in terms of fineness." www.bbc.co.uk/food/caster_sugarUm, ok, so is it POWDERED sugar? kind of looks like it in the picture...? TIA! Powdered sugar has a percentage of corn starch in it which will impact recipes. I'd look for baker's sugar but you can probably find caster sugar in the sugar aisle on the top shelf. |
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Post by AussieMeg on Dec 8, 2019 5:58:52 GMT
I thought this was a joke thread LOL! I had NO IDEA that is wasn't called caster sugar everywhere. Although I probably should have known, because I know that Americans have a different name for icing sugar (powdered / confectioners sugar). WTF is Caster Sugar: "In the United States, caster sugar is often called superfine sugar, baker's sugar, or bar sugar." LOL! nope, not a joke! I've never heard of this before! Well, hopefully it' easy to find bc I'd like her to bake these suckers tomorrow! Well good luck! Sponges are not the easiest thing in the world to bake. Let us know how it turns out. I tried to bake a sponge many many years ago and it was a flop, and I've never been game enough to give it another crack. If yours is successful I'm going to try again, so I'm gunning for ya!  Like others have said, if you can't find any (although I would be stunned if you couldn't) you can just pulse some normal white sugar in a food processor. But not too much, you won't want it to turn into icing / powdered sugar! ETA: I forgot to mention, I even have raw (aka golden) caster sugar. It's made from raw sugar so it's light brown. It's really good in certain dishes. |
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muggins
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by muggins on Dec 8, 2019 6:40:56 GMT
Just an FYI, if your DD has to make a traditional Victoria sponge then it should be vanilla not chocolate. It should have jam (and possibly cream) in the middle and powdered sugar on top.
If you can’t find superfine sugar, just use regular white granulated. Definitely not powdered. The baked texture should be heavier than a boxed cake mix which is usually very light.
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RedSquirrelUK
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Post by RedSquirrelUK on Dec 8, 2019 15:15:46 GMT
Traditional Victoria sponge cake is not chocolate. It is vanilla, and has jam and cream between the layers, and icing sugar on top. If she has a paper doily, she can place it on top of the cake and sift icing sugar on top, then lift the doily up and she'll have a pretty design. That is traditional.
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ComplicatedLady
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Post by ComplicatedLady on Dec 9, 2019 5:51:25 GMT
I don’t even know why I opened this. It was probably profanity + sugar that caught my attention.
I am so not a baker and had no idea what was being asked.
Seriously though, I learn so much from the peas. Just in the few responses of this thread, I’ve learned what caster sugar is, how to make it from granulated sugar, that powdered sugar is sometimes called icing sugar, sponge cakes use the caster sugar to be lighter, sponge cakes are harder than regular cakes to make, and traditional Victorian sponge cakes are vanilla.
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Post by gar on Dec 9, 2019 9:26:23 GMT
And this is one of those occasions where a kitchen scale is a good idea for weight accuracy.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2019 9:46:15 GMT
And this is one of those occasions where a kitchen scale is a good idea for weight accuracy. and if you're like me, you weigh the eggs and add the same amount of weight in butter/margarine, caster sugar and self raising flour! |
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Post by monklady123 on Dec 9, 2019 10:00:50 GMT
I don’t even know why I opened this. It was probably profanity + sugar that caught my attention. I am so not a baker and had no idea what was being asked. Seriously though, I learn so much from the peas. Just in the few responses of this thread, I’ve learned what caster sugar is, how to make it from granulated sugar, that powdered sugar is sometimes called icing sugar, sponge cakes use the caster sugar to be lighter, sponge cakes are harder than regular cakes to make, and traditional Victorian sponge cakes are vanilla. Same here! In fact I learned all those things too! lol... Now I feel like trying to make a traditional sponge cake, and I don't even like to bake. lolol  |
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Post by monklady123 on Dec 9, 2019 10:03:19 GMT
Bridget in MD I went to Giant after reading this thread yesterday....and this was one of those huge mega Giants which I normally don't like to go to because it's so big... and just out of curiosity I looked for your caster sugar (or superfine, or any other name that was mentioned in this thread). But nope, just regular sugar, powdered sugar, and a billion different artificial sweeteners. I hope you had more success finding it!
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Post by pelirroja on Dec 9, 2019 11:50:31 GMT
Caster sugar is usually in the baking aisle near the colored sanding sugars/decors. It comes in a small cellophane wrapped bag and looks like a small white brick and is labelled "superfine sugar". Don't know where you are in MD but I work at a grocery store (in Montgomery County) and we sell India Tree brand caster sugar. Hope that helps.
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Post by gar on Dec 9, 2019 12:57:34 GMT
And this is one of those occasions where a kitchen scale is a good idea for weight accuracy. and if you're like me, you weigh the eggs and add the same amount of weight in butter/margarine, caster sugar and self raising flour! I do. Works like a dream 🙂 |
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Post by sassyangel on Dec 9, 2019 14:25:21 GMT
It’s almost impossible to get around here, now. Domino used to sell a super fine sugar, which is the same, but the places that stocked it stopped selling it. It’s much better for baking, especially stuff with meringue, IMO. I had to order mine from Amazon now, cause I didn’t want to trash my food processor bowl doing it myself.
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Post by sassyangel on Dec 9, 2019 14:28:11 GMT
Caster sugar is usually in the baking aisle near the colored sanding sugars/decors. It comes in a small cellophane wrapped bag and looks like a small white brick and is labelled "superfine sugar". Don't know where you are in MD but I work at a grocery store (in Montgomery County) and we sell India Tree brand caster sugar. Hope that helps. That’s the brand I got from Amazon.  |
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Post by Bridget in MD on Dec 9, 2019 16:45:59 GMT
Bridget in MD I went to Giant after reading this thread yesterday....and this was one of those huge mega Giants which I normally don't like to go to because it's so big... and just out of curiosity I looked for your caster sugar (or superfine, or any other name that was mentioned in this thread). But nope, just regular sugar, powdered sugar, and a billion different artificial sweeteners. I hope you had more success finding it! Oh dammit, I was going to stop by Giant on my way home from work today because I could find it when I was grocery shopping yesterday! (I was at walmart tho and not really expecting to find it). I told DD we may have to make this sugar.... she looked at me like  |
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Post by Bridget in MD on Dec 9, 2019 17:11:54 GMT
Traditional Victoria sponge cake is not chocolate. It is vanilla, and has jam and cream between the layers, and icing sugar on top. If she has a paper doily, she can place it on top of the cake and sift icing sugar on top, then lift the doily up and she'll have a pretty design. That is traditional. Oh, we realize that. She wanted chocolate though, and she's a very good student, so I assume the assignment allows a spin off of a traditional recipe. The recipe I linked above also called for chocolate with apricot jam, which she didn't care for, so we bought strawberry. We are going to make the cakes tonight and freeze them, and assemble this sucker I guess Thurs morning, when it's due. I'm worried how the whipped cream layer is going to hold up all day, and of course, it's the last class of the day too! |
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Post by Bridget in MD on Dec 9, 2019 17:14:08 GMT
I don’t even know why I opened this. It was probably profanity + sugar that caught my attention. I am so not a baker and had no idea what was being asked. Seriously though, I learn so much from the peas. Just in the few responses of this thread, I’ve learned what caster sugar is, how to make it from granulated sugar, that powdered sugar is sometimes called icing sugar, sponge cakes use the caster sugar to be lighter, sponge cakes are harder than regular cakes to make, and traditional Victorian sponge cakes are vanilla. LOL!!!!! I'm not a baker either, and I get easily frustrated in the kitchen, esp when my kid keeps changing the ingrediants! HA! Basically, I think it looks like a strawberry shortcake (but maybe with raspberries and pound cake?). We are going to attempt to make this tonight so if it goes horribly wrong, we still have a couple of days... |
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Post by Bridget in MD on Dec 9, 2019 18:04:25 GMT
AussieMeg, @gar, @dottyscrapper, RedSquirrelUK - and everyone else! thank you so much for your information and tips for the cake! DD and I watch the GBBO so when she told me what she wanted to make, i was thinking  LOL, but it will be an adventure!
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Post by papersilly on Dec 9, 2019 19:14:39 GMT
perfect timing! last night i came across this for a recipe and i wondered what it was. i'm glad i can just pulse some granulated sugar to get this. thanks for the tip.
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peabrain
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,588
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Post by peabrain on Dec 9, 2019 21:20:50 GMT
Some of these projects are worse on the parents than the kids.
Good luck to you!
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muggins
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,861
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Post by muggins on Dec 9, 2019 21:49:07 GMT
Traditional Victoria sponge cake is not chocolate. It is vanilla, and has jam and cream between the layers, and icing sugar on top. If she has a paper doily, she can place it on top of the cake and sift icing sugar on top, then lift the doily up and she'll have a pretty design. That is traditional. Oh, we realize that. She wanted chocolate though, and she's a very good student, so I assume the assignment allows a spin off of a traditional recipe. The recipe I linked above also called for chocolate with apricot jam, which she didn't care for, so we bought strawberry. We are going to make the cakes tonight and freeze them, and assemble this sucker I guess Thurs morning, when it's due. I'm worried how the whipped cream layer is going to hold up all day, and of course, it's the last class of the day too! She should also put the powdered sugar on top at the last minute or it might sink into the moist sponge if it’s in a container all day. |
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