Village show Victoria sponge - no baking powder?

[tillytubby]

Hi I am going to enter our local agricultural show in the Victoria sponge category. I've never done this before but I have made a fair few cakes so I thought it would be fun.
However the entry form says make it to the following recipe:
3 eggs
175g SR flour
175g Marg
175g sugar

No where does it mention baking powder but every recipe I've ever come across including the w.i. and Mary berry always add baking powder.

So my question is, have they made a mistake? Do I add it and hope they won't notice or am I missing some secret trick in the method that makes up for the extra oomph needed?

I should have read the OP more carefully !

Right, cake practice number 3. Used all in one method, cooked one on the right in fan oven, one on the left in conventional oven, used, straight sided tins. Theg are opposite sides up on the rack.

Conventional oven one rose better but has not cooked evenly. Fan oven one cooked better but the top was very cracked. Shape and height was much better though, no waist! I tried to cook them at 160 but after 25 mins still weren't cooked so I whacked it up to 180 which might account for the cracked tops as there was a lot of door opening!

Closer pics

Clearly you don't give up easily OP.

I like your competitive spirit!

The shape, height and colour are all looking really good.

Good luck! You should be awarded extra points for persistence!

Good luck. Should be a special prize for amount of test cakes consumed.

Three eggs and their weight in butter (or marge I like storm) sugar and s/r flour.
Thoroughly cream butter and sugar, it should be really pale and fluffy.
Beat eggs and fold in a tbs of eggs plus tbs of sifted flour - need a light hand here.
Divide between prepared tins, line the bottom if you want. Straight sided tins.
Bake for 20 mins in a preheated oven at 190.

Cool on a wire rack (I was once marked down as the judge couldn't see the criss cross marks on the rack, she took the cake apart to look)
Sandwich together using raspberry jam, it should be an even layer but not so much it oozes out when cut.
Sprinkle top with caster sugar, not icing sugar.

You will he marked for an even colour, even good rise, flat top....

I have in the past been in the WI....

You could still match the egg weight to 175g even if you can't substitute butter for marg.

Wow fantastic tips verylongtimeago! I wondered about the jam, I've been using four to five tablespoons. Sounds like you have met some harsh judges I thought you were meant to avoid rack marks at all cost.

Just realised this is actually attempt number four. A lot of cake has been consumed and given away so this batch got frozen for future needs as I can't face eating it!
Next batch will be having a go at creaming method again with new straight tins but definitely sticking with fan oven.

I have a three year old and a seven month old, you would think I had better things to do really...

Avoid rack marks on the top yes, the judge looked in the middle...
The judge will or at least the ones I have seen will cut the cake in half to look at the texture, then taste it. They may also cut a small piece and feel the texture with their fingers. It's very tense, the awarding of the cup for best baking is taken very seriously!

Ahhh no-one has mentioned Slubberdegullion and her famous High Sift?

This topic (wow! 9 years ago, where did the time go?) is a brilliant read and there's great tips in it too for acing the Village Show.

Rules for Village Show Victoria Sponge Cake

To avoid rack marks, get a rack with a closer/smaller grid. The top is cracked as it went into too hot an oven.
Good luck!

This cake is just about breaking me! I feel like I'm armed with all the knowledge and tips that I can possibly glean and they are still turning out like this. Wrinkly, dry, and flat.
I'm sticking religiously to the show schedule and have tried all variations on all in one, creaming method, oven types etc. Do I just admit defeat and put the damn extra baking powder in as the cake I made first had it in and I made zero effort and it was the best!

This pic was creaming method by the way but with marg (as they have stipulated) im just not convinced it can possibly work.

I don't know what to suggest. I made one today in homage to this thread, it's not pretty and I should have used smaller tins with more height, but it tastes good.

It's not as flat as the picture above suggests. Here's a slice.

I do mine at 170 in a fan oven and 25 minutes - if that helps? ( I know they say to turn it down 20º , but I've found thats too low to cook properly)
I have tins with quite a high side which helps too

People sieve flour??

My cakes got better when I do them at a low temperature for longer. I also open the oven door very slowly so there isn't a great rush of hot and cold air transfer and close it very gently.

Do you have to use marg?

Also would anyone really know if you used plain flour with baking powder??

The saga continues. I checked with the judges and butter is allowed. I have been baking sodding Victoria sandwiches for over a month and this is where I am at:

1. If I make it with stork and a little baking powder and it comes out light, fluffy, looks the part but on tasting is a little dry and you can tell it has baking powder.

OR

1. I bake it with butter using creaming method and it tastes heavenly with perfect texture. But the edges stick and break apart once out of the oven so it looks awful.

All attempts have now been in fan oven at 160-170 degrees and I'm using anodised aluminium pans greased and floured.

Anyone see where I am going wrong here? Because at this rate I may just bake it with stork and BP because at least it will look presentable!

Pic is how they come out with butter.
Honestly never had this problem before until I decided to enter a competition!

How much longer til the show, OP?