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]

225 gr unsalted butter
225 caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
200 g self raising flour
25 gr cornflour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3.4. tbspoon milk
2 x 21 cm sandwich tins buttered
oven gas mark 4
Makes it in the food processor, all ingredients except the milk which she adds once you have a smooth batter. then pulse pouing the milk gradually through the funnel till the mixture is soft, drooping consisntency.
she says" traditionally jam rather than fruit is used but unless you have a very good jam I think a few berries make a difference.
she also has recipe for raspberry jam!

[Slubberdegullion]

Ooooh thank you Franca, have copied & pasted.

Does she say the equivalent temp in celcius for an electric oven?

I think I'll just stick with jam (prob rasp). Whole fruits might be shunned as being modern and pushy.

[Megglevache]

Message withdrawn

[francagoestohollywood]

180

[elasticbandstand]

how aobut a marks & spencer,
a la Calender Girls

[Slubberdegullion]

Thank you Megglevache.

No one was laughing at tea today I can tell you. DD2 (not even 2) had a rather horrified look on her face when presented with my attempt.

[Slubberdegullion]

They would SO know elasticbandstand.

These judges do this for a living. They ship them in from 'out of area' so you can't bribe them.

[bakedpotato]

You're brave. Went round a VS recently and oooh, the remarks on the cards... 'Imaginative attempt, but unfortunately the filling seems to be a little uneven'
Those unfortunatelys really dominated

[foxinsocks]

I would check - some of them have Rules. Yes really.

I cannot remember when I had this conversation but I do recall someone moaning about entering a cake and having used baking powder in it and that was v frowned upon! But this was yonks ago.

[francagoestohollywood]

rofl

[foxinsocks]

rules about ingredients I meant!

they should tell you the rules

[francagoestohollywood]

sorry but lol at bakin powder being frowned upon. you're opening a whole new world to me, thanks

[Slubberdegullion]

Oh I know bakedpotato. I went last year (but didn't pay close attention to the cakes, just the comments...hence my lack of VSC knowledge). Those judges cut to the quick.

I remember a 'very disappointing' comment.

I do hope I don't get that. That would break me.

A 'good effort but a little dry' would be OK.

[bakedpotato]

lol at very disappointing
you'd have to move village

[Slubberdegullion]

You can't ask fox. That's an unwritten rule. You just know. But I don't. Thats why I'm here.

Maybe when I've lived here for 20 years I'll wake up one morning and will have had the knowledge osmotically shared with me by the 'older' ladies of the village.

[francagoestohollywood]

slubbered, you should write a ook on this. Like a XXI century barbara pym.

[francagoestohollywood]

book

[Slubberdegullion]

Oh God Barbara Pym. My DH's Grandfather keeps sending me her books. I have about 6 of them in my bookcase now. I have only read one. Nothing happened...all the protagonist did was have tea with the vicar and ......gossip and the village shows.




oh dear the penny has just dropped.


A grandfather thinks I am village frump.



I'm going to add vodka to my VSC, that'll show them.

[francagoestohollywood]

don't say that, I love Barbara Pym. Maybe because I'm not English. Anyway, I think this is the best thread I've ever seen in MN. You should write, anyway.

[foxinsocks]

aaah so you went last year and SAW the cakes

so you a little bit of knowledge to work on

I reckon you need to focus on doing over the competition, that's your only chance.

[Slubberdegullion]

And whole fruits. massive fuck of strawberries.


And I'm going to dust a shape of two breasts on my cake with icing sugar.




hehehehe





Obviously I will never ever do any of those things. I love tradition too much.

[Quattrocento]

Have you seen the Calendar Girls?

Very good tip in there about how to win cake-making competition.

I won't spoil it for you.

[chonky]

pmsl at icing sugar norks

[sugarfree]

If you dust breast shapes on your cake,it will end up all Midsomer Murders,you mark my words!

[Slubberdegullion]

Well foxes' idea about doing over the competition has set my mind in motion.


maybe if I just broke into their houses and stole their magimixes the night before.


Or exchanged their self-raising flour for strong white. That would make a very heavy cake indeed.