The science of the perfect cake

The quintessential British ritual of afternoon tea began around 1840. It was the creation of Anna Maria Russell, the Duchess of Bedford and lifelong friend of Queen Victoria, who reportedly introduced the idea to fill her need for a little sustenance in the late afternoon. Friends were invited to join her in enjoying a selection of finger sandwiches, scones, pastries and fancy cakes at around 4pm. Amongst the delicacies on offer were ‘new’ light and fluffy cakes, only possible thanks to the then-novel chemical leavening agents.

Queen Victoria was reportedly a huge fan of one chemically leavened sweet treat in particular: a plain sponge filled with jam and sometimes cream or buttercream. This recipe became known as the Victoria sponge or the Victoria sandwich. In this article, a mixture of chemists, professional bakers and food manufacturers tells Chemistry World more about the science behind what is today still one of the UK’s most popular cakes.