I’m a chef and you made Victoria sponge all wrong! Pastry Chef Tracey Rutt tells all

There’s nothing more British than a good Victoria sponge, best enjoyed on a summer picnic and washed down with a glass of fizz.

While the popular dessert can be found in most bakeries and supermarkets, a homemade alternative can taste all the sweeter – especially if you follow Chef Pastry Chef Tracey Rutt’s advice.

Here, she shares her top tips for making a sponge fit for royalty, including a common mistake to avoid and why she wraps the finished product in cling film.

The proof is literally in the pudding for Tracey, who worked with Heston Blumenthal at the Fat Duck before moving to Surrey’s award-winning gastropub The Victoria Oxshott.

The first ingredient in the recipe for Victoria sponge success? Good equipment.

Tracey tells MailOnline Travel: ‘When making the English classic, Victoria sponge, I always like to use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to make a good airy mix, which will be a lighter sponge.’

Choosing the right vanilla product can also make a difference, according to Tracey.

She says, “I add scraped-out vanilla pods to the butter and sugar mixture.

‘You can use vanilla essence, but I find vanilla pods give the best flavor and result.

‘Make sure the butter is soft and not runny when you mix the butter and sugar.

“Create the butter and sugar to a pale color.

“But be careful not to overmix or the mixture will separate.”

There are also do’s and don’ts when it comes to adding the eggs.

Tracey says, “For the eggs, it’s best to keep them at room temperature, as the yolks and whites will then be easier to combine, which will help them cook more evenly.”

“Be sure to crack the eggs into a separate bowl before adding them to the biscuit mixture, as this will ensure you don’t add a broken shell to the mixture.”

Slowly add the eggs one at a time to the sugar and butter mixture.

After each egg, sift in some of the flour and mix.

Alternately, add an egg and some flour, mixing after each addition, until all ingredients are combined.

“When everything is combined, I pour it into a parchment-lined cake tin and bake.”

Tracey reveals a common pitfall to avoid for those who want to become a baking legend.

She says, “A common mistake people make is opening the oven too early, which causes the cake to collapse.”

Her cling film tip, meanwhile, is guaranteed to make you the toast of the picnic.

Tracey reveals: ‘A really good tip I do with all my cakes and biscuits is that when they come out of the oven I wrap them in cling film and poke some little holes in them.

“This guarantees a soft, damp sponge.”

Tracey’s twist on the classic Victoria sponge is currently on the menu at The Victoria Oxshott.

The dessert is her “signature creation” at the gastropub and changes seasonally depending on the fruit available in season.

Tracey explains: ‘It consists of two half scoops of tempered white chocolate, filled with a vanilla pastry cream, fruit compote, jam, vanilla biscuit, a thin wafer biscuit and ice cream or sorbet – whichever combination works best with the seasonal fruit available.

“It’s finished with pate de fruit, then blitzed and piped, and a layer of sorbet added.”

She adds, “When I make my desserts, they are a nostalgic experience by creating innovative desserts that evoke a memory you know and love, with an exciting twist.

‘The Victoria biscuit dessert is an example of this. It’s not just a slice of cake on a plate.’

The current version of Tracey’s Victoria sponge is made with rhubarb, which is in season from April to July.

This is due to the switch to strawberry in the coming weeks when Tracey is happy with what is ripe.