The Victorians are often credited with inventing modern baking. And they definitely helped pave the way for the incredible array of tasty desserts we’re now able to sample today. From the very literal Victoria sponge cake to lemon tarts and even rice pudding, the Victorians invented and favoured some of the most iconic desserts and savoury bakes in culinary history.
We’re taking a look at six iconic bakes that the Victorians loved to inspire your next GBBO-fuelled baking session.
CHARLOTTE RUSSE
A French dessert supposedly created by chef Marie-Antonin Careme, the Charlotte Russe consists of a jelly and set custard centre wrapped in lady fingers (otherwise known as “savoiardi” if you’re fancy) and decorated with fresh fruit. Unsurprisingly, Paul Hollywood has the best recipe for the Charlotte Russe.
LEMON TART
While the lemon tart is an established (and delicious!) dessert today, traditionally the Victorians would spread lemon curd or custard on toast for breakfast. Talk about a sweet tooth. Continuing the GBBO theme, we have to recommend Mary Berry’s lemon tart recipe, of course.
VICTORIA SPONGE
What could be more iconic than the Victoria sponge cake? The first reference to this type of cake in England starts from 1615, and while the cake actually originated in Spain, it was heartily adopted by Queen Victoria herself, therefore cementing its place in British baking history. You can follow GBBO’s own Victoria sponge recipe for a taste of the good stuff.
RICE PUDDING
A super cheap and cheerful dessert that the Victorians would have bubbling away on their stoves, rice pudding only requires three key ingredients – rice, milk and water – but we love Delia Smith’s recipe for ‘Old-Fashioned rice pudding’ which features a sweet and spicy nutmeg skin.
TRIFLE
It’s hard to think of a more traditional dessert than the trifle. A version referred to as “fruit fool” was seen in 16th century recipe books, so although it was invented long before the Victorian era, it likely graced Victorian tables due to its ornate and colourful look. Nowadays, the trifle is seen in many variations and Olive magazine has a roundup of the most unique trifles you can make – orange trifle with amaretti, anyone?
MINCE MEAT PIE
A savoury bake worth talking about, the mince pie has had quite the evolution. In the Medieval times, pies were considered no more than a vessel for the filling, which was usually savoury. Desserts as we know them didn’t really exist back then, so sweet ingredients, such as honey or dried fruits, would often be found mixed into savoury dishes. Gradually, exotic spices arrived in England and also became incorporated into the pie recipe, and the modern day sweet mince pie as we know it was born. The English Heritage has a fantastic blog which details the recipe for a ‘real’ mince meat pie from 1591 if you want to give it a whirl!
To find out more about Victorian trends and kitchens, download the Adrian Flux Victorian Homes ebook for free.
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