Working out how to bake a sponge cake in a halogen oven to get successful results and a cooked sponge cake can be tricky.  This article covers all the different options and reasons why things happen and how to solve them.

There is also a simple Victoria sponge cake recipe with halogen oven instructions for you if you want to use and download it.

There are several factors to consider when using a halogen oven compared to a conventional oven to cook your sponge cakes.  What you decide and what works for each person can be slightly different.

Here is covered the different possibilities along with a sponge recipe with step-by-step instructions. You may find that you don’t need everything suggested, it will depend on your own needs.

How to Bake a Successful Sponge Cake in a Halogen Oven

My First Halogen Oven Sponge Cake Disaster

The first time I tried to bake a Victoria sponge cake in my halogen was a complete disaster.  I was new to halogen oven baking, new to halogens completely in fact. I just did what I’d normally do make the cake checked the times and set them then popped in the cake. When I checked the cake at the correct time it was perfect.  It had risen and was a lovely golden brown. I don’t know why I didn’t double-check, but I didn’t probably because it look so good and I had had such great results with everything else I had cooked in my halogen. But then I took the cake out it was completely raw inside!!

I was devastated, absolutely gutted. So what had gone so very wrong?

I didn’t know, while there are variations in any cooker this was drastic. The only thing I knew by looking at it was to cook outside and not in the heat had to be too high, but it was at the recommended heat.

So I asked again what had gone wrong?  Would using a lower heat help? After a lot of research and experimentation and I came up with a combination of ideas that would help to create a lovely sponge cake in the halogen.

Here is What I Found Out About Succesful Sponge Cake Making

There are several ways to make sure your cakes are cooked in the centre.

1. Find a way to get the heat to reflect back up below your cake.  The halogen works by moving the air around so it is vital that the air go under the cake.  The trouble is with such a small space when you put a large tin in it almost blocks the air going under the tin.  I’d experienced similar issues with big pizzas. You can use a tin at the bottom or some tin foil (make sure it’s clamped down to stop it floating up).
2. Slow down the outside of the cake cooking.  You can do this by using the bottom tray and the extender ring.  This moves the heat away from the sponge cake meaning the cake browns slower.
3. Cover your cake with tin foil for part of the cooking.
4. Reduce the heat and take longer to cook.
5. Also, you can use a smaller tin thus allowing more heat to go under it.
6. Only cook your cake in two tins reducing the depth of the cake
7. Cooking smaller amounts.
8. It is also possible to cook one tin on the top rack and one on the bottom if you are using an extender ring.  Cover the top with foil then swap them over.
9. Buy a “doughnut” dish and have done with it, it is much easier! They are actually called cake/rice dishes.  I discovered them when wanting to cook rice.  They have a hole in the middle, thus removing the centre of the cake issue.
   

Andrew James Halogen Oven Cake Dish / Rice Dish

Of course, if you don’t want a hole in the centre of your cakes then the other options can be used.  I wanted a traditional non-holed cake as I was thinking about entering them in the local show which requires the standard round tin cake.

What you find works for you may be different. I found a combination worked.  I lowered the heat by about 25C from what was recommended. Put on foil and something to stop it floating  This slows everything down including the centre.  In the end, I put a hole in the centre of mine to make sure the centre got most of the heat. I only used one tin so I didn’t need an extender, if you want to an extender would help.

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A Simple Victoria Sponge Recipe for the Halogen Oven

This is a simple victoria sponge cake/sandwich with the instructions adapted for the halogen.  Also, check out all the things you can do above to make sure your sponges work for you.The recipe was given to me by my mum and sister they use the old fashioned weights which are actually a lot easier to remember. In oz 6,6,6,3, or 4,4,4,2. So basically all the ingredients the same and half the amount of eggs. So simple, also included are g as most people use those.

Course Dessert

Cuisine English

Prep Time 7 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 42 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 170 g Flour self-rasing  6oz
• 170 g caster sugar 6oz
• 170 g butter or baking margarine 6oz
• 3 eggs

Instructions

1. Mix together your sugar, eggs, butter and flour until they are well mixed and a smooth consistency
2. Preheat your halogen oven for 5 minutes
3. Grease your tin/s
4. Split mixture evenly between your two tins
5. Preheat your halogen to 175C (347F) (I heat it warmer as by the time you add everything the temperature it has dropped)
6. Cover your tins with tin foil making sure that there is still air around it and that it is secure (this prevents floating foil)
7. Make sure there is a hole in your foil on your bottom tin
8. Place more foil/another tin on the bottom of the halogen if you are using it
9. Place the holed tin at the bottom and the non-holed tin at the top of the oven  on the racks (You may find it easier just to cook one tin to start with if so use the bottom of the oven
10. Place on the lid
11. Cook on 125C (257F) for 20/25 minutes
12. Check to see how cooked your sponges are.  When they are fairly well cooked remove the tin foil to brown. (Be very careful when removing them from the oven as it is easy to catch yourself on the edges)
13. Turn up the heat to 150C (300F)
14. If you want to you can swap the bottom tin for the top tin to brown until lightly golden
15. Double check everything is cooked
16. Remove from the oven and wait about 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack
17. Leave to cool
18. When cool fill and decorate as desired with jam or jam & cream or chocolate with icing on top

Recipe Notes

If you want to cover your sponge with chocolate sauce or icing like in the picture example see how on our how to make chocolate icing post.

Let us know how you get on in the comments it would be great to hear of any successes, tip or difficulties you may have.  Be patient you will succeed with this.