Rules for Village Show Victoria Sponge Cake

[Slubberdegullion]

So I am taking the plunge and am going to enter a Victoria Sponge Cake into our local village show.

I'm not pussy-footing around with lemon curd. Oh no, straight into the Blue Riband event.

But I am a little afraid as I know there are rules. And these rules are not written down. If you have to ask, well you shoudn't be entering (well that's what I am sensing).

So I'm going to ask in happy annonymity here.

Size (18 or 20cm)?
Butter or marg?
What type of jam?
Cream filling?
Icing sugar or caster sugar on the top?
Doilly? (Sp?)

Seasoned village show entrants (or judges) your help gladly recieved.

Definitely butter and a doily,probably strawberry jam and no cream.The others not to sure tbh.

Thanks sugarfree. I knew there would be someone on here who has some VSC knowledge.

Have you ever entered one yourself?

butter, homemade strawberry jam if possible, no idea about the others.

At our village fete the recipe used to be on the entry form for anything where it had to be specific

Do you think they could tell if it was homemade jam. Would I get extra points for that?

Deffo icing sugar on top - could be very fancy and stencil a design on top.

No recipe on the form. I tell you it's only for women in the know

Not convinced about the doilly tbh, I'd go for a vintage style cake stand.

buy one from m & s

Where does one acquire a vintage style cake stand chonky?

or a doilly for that matter?

No,but I love a good village show and am opinionated to boot.
Been googling and just found this from one show....
7-8 inch tin,raspberry jam and no sugar on top.
Hang on will keep looking.

Just found another rule stating raspberry.

I checked on the WI web site thinking surely this place is the bible of VSC.

Not there....just a load of trendy cakes.

What is going on with this country if the WI site doesn't do VSC ffs.

lol at WI site

Probably get a nice cake stand on ebay (heck - I'm getting all competitive on your behalf Slub, you must win!)

You seem to be entering a mine field,just found one that says..any red jam and castor sugar to sprinkle.But absolutely NO cream.(makes sense,it's got to sit in a hot tent)

Does Nigella not have a recipe in her Domestic Goddess book. Surely she must have?

In Dartford they insist on 18cm but don't specify jam flavour.

Well I'm going for a placing chonky. I think first would be alienate me from the seasoned VSC entrants.

I will be upset if I get a 'This is a very nasty cake' comment.

Or a disqualification...which is very easy...wrong jam and you're out. (I am led to believe)

Chonky,doesn't matter about the recipe,each show have 'rules' about how they like the cake to be shown.Some are really quite strict,s'pose because it levels the playing field.

I'm think I'm taking this a bit too seriously

I fear you may get labelled an 'upstart' if start doing arty things with icing sugar and cake stands.If you're a newbie they're going to be out to get you for the least faux pas.

Me too Chonky.This explains my reluctance to look any further into joining the WI.I can imagine myself all frazzled and flour sprinkled at 3 a.m. on a quest for The Perfect Drop Scone.Screeching maniacally as I throw the 20th attempt at the window.

Absolutely sugarfree. They will be looking for the newbie. I need to avoid any major errors. I do not want to be the lady in the village who gets laughed and pointed at because she had a decorated dusting of icing sugar on her cake.

This is a serious business.

In Clevedon they also like Castor sugar and don't mind which jam you use.(They say,but I bet there are secret jam rules for those in the know)

They are very lax in Steeple Morden,there you are allowed to use your own (nigella's) recipe!