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.

the key to a good victoria sponge is a Very High Sift

that is my royal pronouncement. if you get placed, the sift will have done it [nod] [saynomore]

(oh and for clean sides you need to line each whole tin properly (ie round base and bands for the sides) with very lightly greased baking paper

or if you are SERIOUS, with specially cut bakeoglide )

But Pennies that's why she needs to think about her endgame. Is Fernando Alonso playing nicely with Lewis Hamilton? No sirree - the new boy on the block has ruffled feathers. A "failure" will lull them into a false sense of security (and we all love the Plucky British Loser), and position her to be everyone's favourite next year, the Underdog.

I once completely buggeresd up a sponge in an Aga. Used the cold shelf thing and everything.

Did anyone explain what 'dropping' was?

(and how long before a reference to this thread appears in the press????)

sainsbury's are talking bollox

Thr dropping - causes the biggest air bubbles to rise to teh top and burst so that the cake has a nice even texture of small even bubbles.

Except Slubber got zits when she tried it first time

this is the best thread ever.

you need countess dracula.

she is queen of pudding and cake

Message withdrawn

i have sent out a batman like distress signal (a silhouette of a cake tin beamed from my house to hers).

she'll be here anon.

Anchovy, Pennies, my endgame is in the forefront of my mind. The VSC is but a tool, an exceptionally tasty and fairly calorific tool mind, but still is just a piece of equipment in my toolbox of where I want to be in the social heirachy of this village.

Obviously I wasn't born here so that is an indelible stain on my logbook. I am still a relative newbie (and will be for many years to come). I don't do horses, or gardening, or play bridge, and am not involved in the pond commiteee. These are all further black marks.

In my favour dd2 was born here, I am heavily involved in toddlers and girl guiding. And my current trump card is I am wife of the chair of the village fete commitee (an important position indeed).

I suppose my ultimate goal is to be asked to do the Mothering Sunday New Testement Reading in church. Or have either of my daughters crowned Rose Queen. Or become secretary of the village WI. Or return to work and contribute to society in that manner (fairly low down the list really).

I'm thinking that the highly commended VSC may be a good move. I need to keep my enemies close, lulled into a false sense of security. I am liking the 3-5 year concept.

Slubber, you are but a mere child in your aspirations
To truly be top of the heap, you need to be aspiring not to bake cakes for the fete, nor to be the wife of the grunt who organises it, but to OPEN the fete. Not to be on the pond committee, but to volunteer your GARDENER to be on the pond committee. Not to do the church flowers, but allow the church flower committee to cut whatever blooms and foliage they require from YOUR garden. Not be the secretary of the village WI, but to be the person who says "well of course our WI is simply MARVELLOUS, they work so hard and I make sure to buy enough jams and preserves from their little sale to last me through until christmas. Well one has a duty to SUPPORT the village, doesn't one?".

Honestly. Do you know NOTHING?

Actually I'm so top of the heap I spend each year frantically ignoring all the incredibly heavy hints dropped in my direction that the village fete should be held in our gardens "Well of course it was always held at [name of house] in Major Godawful-Paine's day. So lovely, it was." "Oh really? Gosh, that must have been a lot of work for him. The village green is always lovely though, and such easy parking." Nightmare on legs. Have held it at bay for 5 years without once actually ever having to say "not on your nelly". Quite an achievement!

My word PrincessPeaNips, you are absolutely right. My aspirations do seem terribly Lower-Middle Middle Class when compared with yours.

Loaning out my gardner eh... (currently a man comes and does the hedges once a year), that will def. have to go in the 10+ year plan.

I am helping to judge the fancy dress at the fete. Is that not a step in the right direction?

I better go to bed now. Lied to DH and told him I was 'just going on line to print out Nigellas sponge recipe'.

quite so Califrau- pointless pointless.

However at our show names are not on cakes so unless they can spot your doilie you are ok.. however comments afterwards might not help sbdg's subtle campagin to rule the village...

I have an apology to make.

Before going to bed, quite unthinkingly, I said, "The VSC is but a tool to me".

Last night I had a dream. An endless green field stretched before me, filled with row upon row of perfectly formed Victoria Sponge Cakes. Their quiet condemnation was deafening.

It gave me the willies I can tell you.

I am truely sorry. I showed great disrespect both to the sponge, and to my fellow bakers & advisors here. I seek your forgiveness.

Righto, apology over, lets crack on.

re being married to the village fete chair. This bears no relevance upon the cake awards.

You see village fete and village show are quite seperate entities. Different location, different commitee, whole different ball game.

Today, with some assistance from small hands, I will be making VSC Mk III (the Nigella) .

I note from Franca's copy that it contains the dreaded baking soda, so already its in an uphill battle against the Delia.

It will be consumed at MIL's first garden tea party of the year (the stakes are high).

Today I will be wearing a BHS yellow apron, and listening to Elgar's Cello concerto.

I am undecided with regards to the drop.

You are most welcome LL, I think the length of your trip up north might however, not be worth it

oh Slubber you should publish a Bridget-Jones stylee diary about this - 'twould be a best seller

Back to dropping - is it to do with the actual way in which you pour the mixture into the tin?

Oh, and am not sure about the BHS apron - perhaps not reverant enough? Although Elgar is a good counter-action. Perhaps you should wear a tiara or something to raise the tone???