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.

Oh absolutely Chippy. I'm undecided whether I will go for my attempt tomorrow or on sunday. I have almost all of my display props. But need to go out and buy some more jam.

The standard is frighteningly high already.

You are buying display props???

I need to fix my oven temperature probe which seems to be hanging loose.

I have 24 eggs left but am right out of jam.

We may spark a Delia type shortage of ingredients

Well, one prop is bought, the rest are fully hand crafted.

You stil have a lot of eggs there...is your DH going to be getting mostly scrambled egg, quiche and cake over the w/e then?

Well you can't do a VSC without jam can you?

I miscounted - i had 36 . My friend came for lunch and i made a six egg omelette, 3 in the cake and 3 for the DC's tea. I have to make another VSC (8884 this time), a chocolate cake, a fry-up on sunday and then...DH will be eating egg mayo sandwiches for about a month . That'll make a change from leftover fishfingers

Tesco raspberry conserve is my jam of choice.

Chiipy, may I politely suggest if that has been/is going to be your menu over the w/e that you add a few bags of prunes and maybe some sennacot to your shopping basket.

[ugh] I shall merely be nibbling on a lettuce leaf between slices of cake.

keep up with the fluids then

Oh cripes - one day away from the cake saga and a veritable torrent of baking issues to catch up with.

Personally I have boycotted the whole VSC thing and made a rather fine banana bread today. Just scoffed a piece. Yum. Now washing it down with wine. Double yum.

Slubber, is there a bread baking section for your village show? can i make things, postr them you & show them. i know of nothing around her like this!

KAA, nope no bread. there is Irish Brack (fruit bread), cheese scones, savory quiche, ooooh hang on, have just spotted cottage loaf.

People round here know I do bread in my bread maker (after an incident at Harvest Festival and the choir getting upset), I can't afford to be labeled a cheat.

The MkV aka the MN Cake Competition entry .

what happened to make the choir so upset?
did you not show your bread an episode of miss marple before serving their ploughmans?

It was a night out at a 'greek' restaurant, where they have tambourines and sorta greekish dancing & entertainment. Much wine consumed and feeling a trifle roughish. Good night though.

Love the royal touch slubber!

I'm still boycotting the sponge antics I'm afraid. Am mid preparing Nigella's chocolate pastry filled with white choc and mascarpone and topped with fresh raspberries - yum. And had some left over egg white, so whisked up a meringue whilst I was at it.

Dusts flour off hands and remembers she's supposed to be getting dd2 ready for bed!!

Pidge, why are you fiddling around with a Nigella pastry. Come on woman, get your flour & eggs out, make a VSC, take some piccies, put them in the comp.

You know you want to.

KAA, longish story,
forgot to buy anything for Harvest Festival, but did have bread mix in the house, shoved it in the bread maker on rapid bake.
Smugly took warm bread to church, dd1 walked up aisle and handed it over to vicar (compliments +++, increased smuggery)etc.
So then for the rest of the service the smell of freshly baked bread is wafting around the church esp into the choir stalls, making them drool and loose concentration on their anthem.

Complaints ++ following the service.

I tell you life in a village is harsh and full of hidden pitfalls.

H, i live in a village but have managed to Not Get Involved so far. i happily wizz off to work every day & politely chat to passers by at weekens. i DID meet people whilst on mat leave, but was put off by comments about arriving early at church to sit with their friends & decided to back off. however, dd atarts school in sep & i am wondering about joing the pta and becoming head of the playground mafia, by virtue of my supreme cake baking skils (splutter, cough)

Oh Slub!
You sifted from a Great Height!

I'm SOOOOO proud. Your cake looks loverly and you even polished the frame on the Blessed Queen Empress

PMSL

My cake and I owe everything to our friends and expert advisors here on this thread.

ooh slubber was that a bit of a pointed comment towards a certain film star?
do you have a child called blackberry (goes well with apples)

slubber - feeble I know, I'm just wasn't in VSC mood, and had a requirement for a non-cake dessert for entertainment purposes. Pretty good it was too - though the pastry was somewhat dry and crumbly rather than melt in the mouth - I feel a whole new pastry thread coming on ....

Pidge, no more VSC for me for a few weeks now. I'm starting to smell of them.

Could you not start a pastry thread either, jeans considerably tighter than they were a week ago.