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.

[francagoestohollywood]

I love this thread!!! Where are you? I can give you one of my cake stand.

[Slubberdegullion]

My first practice attempt today was a disaster.

I followed Dehlia's classic VSC recipe to the letter (assuming that she would be the knower of all cake show things) but put the mixture into a 20cm tins rather than 18cm ones.

Hence DH, MIL and DC were served Victoria Sponge Biscuit for tea.

[Slubberdegullion]

In a village near Chester Franca.

[sugarfree]

TBH,I think you're going to have to grit your teeth for the next 20 years until you are no longer an incomer and they let you know what the real rules are.
Can't you buy some carrots from Riverford and enter them?

[sugarfree]

Pretty sure all the shows I've been to,the cakes were on white paper plates. Cake stands may be seen as showing off.

[francagoestohollywood]

I'm in devon. do you want nigella's recipe? I have it.

[sugarfree]

When is the show?

[francagoestohollywood]

Lol at showing off! There's so much I need to learn about England still. I love this thread.

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[sugarfree]

Here's my hint,use 8/8/8 and 4 eggs.More mixture=deeper cake.If you're baking is that bad,don't be afraid to go extreme and use 10/10/10 and 5 eggs.

[Slubberdegullion]

Show in mid July. Plenty of practice sessions available.

Yes please to Nigellas recipe.

I am also going to enter my chutney, a picture by dd1 (not drawn yet), and am hoping that when I dig up potatoes one will either be very large (biggest vegetable catagory) or very amusing (most amusing vegetable catagory).

[sugarfree]

and don't forget baking powder.

[Slubberdegullion]

sugarfree, have just checked the forms. There is not a catagory for biggest cake.

I think 5/5/5 would be a little extreme, don't you?

[sugarfree]

lol at your potato hopes,very nervewracking.
So,you've got a month,10 cakes a day for 30 days,300 cakes,you should easily beat Nigella after that amount of practice.

[Slubberdegullion]

or 10/10/10. That's like I have some cake inferiority complex going on.

[sugarfree]

No,you still use your 18cm tins but you put more mixture in,then you don't get the VS biscuit effect you described earlier.

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[Slubberdegullion]

I have 20cm tins.

I did 4/4/4 today = biscuit.

So 5/5/5 = cake

?? 6/6/6 = proudly erect cake

[Slubberdegullion]

What cod...MNers sweep the board?

I don't think that would make me very popular here. If I want my DD's too become Rose Queen I have to keep the elders sweet you know.

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[francagoestohollywood]

bakingforbritain.blogspot.com/2005/09/victoria-sponge -cake.html

[soapbox]

My MIL is a WI judge who judges at the Cheshire show - I will make enquiries

[francagoestohollywood]

hold on have to go downstairs and get the book

[Slubberdegullion]

Franca...that link, that is gratuitous VSC porn.

I have noted doilly and icing sugar mind.

[Slubberdegullion]

Thank you soapbox. Insider knowledge will be very useful.