New
New
Year 8

Making mini Victoria sponges

I can use food skills to make mini Victoria sponges.

New
New
Year 8

Making mini Victoria sponges

I can use food skills to make mini Victoria sponges.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Victoria sponge, also known as cake, was named after Queen Victoria, and was popular with afternoon tea.
  2. Cakes rise due to the action of creaming butter and sugar together, and the use of self-raising flour and beaten eggs.
  3. The food skills used to make a cake are measuring, creaming, folding, portioning, using an oven and spreading.
  4. Cakes baked in smaller tins and cases cook more quickly as the heat can transfer more easily.
  5. Discrimination tests rate the intensity of sensory attributes and can be used to compare similar dishes.

Keywords

  • Queen Victoria - queen of the UK from 1837 to 1901

  • Discrimination tests - tests to rate the intensity of sensory attributes or compare similar foods

  • Sponge - a sweet, soft baked food, usually made with sugar, butter, flour and eggs

  • Folding - mixing in flour through the action of cutting and turning the mixture using a spoon

  • Creaming - to work two ingredients into a smooth paste

Common misconception

A sponge and cake are the same.

Often the term ‘sponge’ and ‘cake’ are used interchangeably. However, sponges are traditionally made from eggs, flour and sugar (no butter), e.g. Swiss roll, and cakes are made from eggs, flour, sugar and butter, e.g. lemon drizzle cake.


To help you plan your year 8 cooking and nutrition lesson on: Making mini Victoria sponges, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

File needed for this lesson

  • Victoria sponge - Task 2 - Discrimination test 277 KB (XLS)

Download this file to use in the lesson.

Rather than cream the butter and caster sugar by hand, pupils could use hand-held electric mixers. In addition, if time is tight, the sponges could be finished at home, such as cutting in half and spreading with jam.
Teacher tip

Equipment

For ingredients and equipment see the recipe in additional materials.

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - may contain allergens
  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
After touching eggs, we should always ...
carry on cooking.
Correct answer: wash and dry our hands.
wipe our hands on a cloth.
clean hands on a tea towel.
Q2.
Match the following ingredients to their origin:
Correct Answer:flour,wheat

wheat

Correct Answer:butter,dairy cow

dairy cow

Correct Answer:eggs,chicken

chicken

Correct Answer:sugar,cane or beet

cane or beet

Correct Answer:jam,sugar and fruit

sugar and fruit

Q3.
When using the oven for baking, what should we always do?
check the light is working
Correct answer: wear oven gloves
use a tea towel
turn it on when you need it in the recipe
Correct answer: preheat the oven
Q4.
Match the cooking term to the foods:
Correct Answer:baking,cake, cookies

cake, cookies

Correct Answer:boiling,pasta, rice

pasta, rice

Correct Answer:roasting,chicken, potatoes

chicken, potatoes

Correct Answer:stir-frying,vegetables, tofu

vegetables, tofu

Correct Answer:dicing,carrots, swede

carrots, swede

Correct Answer:kneading,bread

bread

Q5.
To measure small quantities of ingredients, such as baking powder or spices, are used.
Correct Answer: measuring spoons, measuring spoon
Q6.
If we eat foods high in fat, salt and sugars they should be ...
eaten frequently and in large amounts.
eaten frequently and in small amounts.
Correct answer: eaten occasionally and in small amounts.
eaten often and in small amounts.
eaten often and in large amounts.

6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? A cake and sponge are the same.
True
Correct answer: False
Q2.
Match the following information about a Victoria sponge:
Correct Answer:a Victoria sponge has,two layers, with jam

two layers, with jam

Correct Answer:caster sugar is used,as it is finer than granulated sugar

as it is finer than granulated sugar

Correct Answer:eggs are beaten to,help the sponge to rise

help the sponge to rise

Correct Answer:strawberry jam,is traditionally used

is traditionally used

Correct Answer:baking mini sponges allows them to,cook quicker

cook quicker

Q3.
Discrimination tests ...
evaluate the likes and dislikes of similar foods.
Correct answer: rate the intensity of sensory attributes.
Correct answer: compare similar products for a specific attribute.
assess hedonic responses from people.
Q4.
Which food skill is this showing?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: folding
mixing
creaming
blending
Q5.
Match the ingredient to its function.
Correct Answer:Self-raising flour provides,the main structure.

the main structure.

Correct Answer:Baking powder produces carbon dioxide,helping the sponges rise.

helping the sponges rise.

Correct Answer:The protein in the egg keeps,the sponge together.

the sponge together.

Correct Answer:Pectin helps the mixture to gel,and the sugar preserves the jam.

and the sugar preserves the jam.

Q6.
Arrange this recipe into the correct order.
1 - Preheat the oven.
2 - Cream the sugar and butter.
3 - Add the beaten egg, a little at a time.
4 - Fold-in the flour, a spoonful at a time.
5 - Divide the mixture between the muffin cases.
6 - Bake for 10 - 15 minutes.
7 - Cut in half and spread the jam.

Additional material

Download additional material