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.

[SlightlyMadStilton]

I think they do 'self raising' or 'Supreme sponge'. NOt sure that they just do 'sponge'.

[Slubberdegullion]

Do you know of a supreme caster sugar?

[ggglimpopo]

Go to a WI market(far, far away from where you live) and buy some 'home made'raspberry jam - get a couple of jars - you may have to cruise the WI markets - incase the first jam isn't up to par......

Have just made a victoria sponge for ds's birthday party

[flibbertyjibbet]

Now then if you can't be confident in your cake baking ability after all this tons of help from all us experience bakers then lordy help you to find where your oven is!!!

[robinpud]

I think you use a tea towel to avoid the marks from the rack.
Definitely stork SB rather than butter. butter is too heavy! Definitely need proper vanilla extract from Lakeland as well!

[Slubberdegullion]

I think I will do just that ggg. Over the next few weeks will be heading out of county with the DC on the hunt for a nice cake spreading jam.

[flibbertyjibbet]

You can't leave things on the bottom of the cake whilst cooling as this will trap the moisture and give a soggy bottom.
Can you beleive I am sitting in front of pc with mums GH book whilst dp and ds's are out in the sunshine.......

[Slubberdegullion]

A ha robinpud. The judges NOTICE if you use marg. yes it does make a lighter sponge, but delivers an inferior taste.

Higher marks awarded for taste I believe (although I will be endevouring to get a light texture also).

[chocolateteapot]

I love this thread ! What about a farm shop, they usually have good quality homemade jams and you can get some nice fresh eggs as well at the same time. If you get some sunglasses, a sunhat and go to one a bit futher from home you shouldn't get rumbled.

Is there a done thing on the type of china you can use for your plain white plate then ?

[Slubberdegullion]

Oh dear Lord, a soggy bottom must be avoided at all costs. That would never do. I'd never get a placing with a moist undercarriage.

[Slubberdegullion]

Well now you mention it chocteapot I have recently accuired a pirate wench wig for the village fete. I could don that whilst jam hunting.

[robinpud]

FG- you must come from a posher village than mine becuase it specifies MARGE!
Hmm.. know what you mean about the tea towel thing. I don't do it myself as I like the wire rack marks - makes it look just homemade.
I think you use the teatowel to flip it so that it cool face up with the marks on the bottom iyswim

[Slubberdegullion]

robinpud you have raised another good point. Which surfaces do you use as the top/bottom/middle? I have in the past used the flat bottom sides as the middle (jam) faces in the completed cake. Is this the correct placement?

[suzywong]

I have thrown away the magazine now, it was an Australian one and it was about WI or the outback equivalent and their tricks of hte trade. I wish I could remember the technique

google cake cooling rack australia, go on, now

[flibbertyjibbet]

oh yes does one slice off the rounded bits on top, make these into the middle, and have the 'bottoms' as the top and bottom?
That would get rid of any wire marks as you could cool face down then slice that off.
Oh oh, I hear pram approaching, go to go make bacon butties.
Will post jam recipe on a new thread later today hopefully, if I put it on here and everyone comments on their improvements to the recipe I'll be accused of hi-jacking!

[robinpud]

think not- think a top side needs to be on the top ifyswim. Anyone can put a face arse up on a plate without creases or wrinkles; the challenge is in getting the right side flawless!

[flibbertyjibbet]

I've got an australian cake book thats where I got it from to trim the rounded tops off to make a flatttttt vsc.

[robinpud]

suzy- you watched the same programme as me about the ladies from the CWO entering a cake comp surely?

[robinpud]

Think trimming is for lady gardens only and def not for VS

[flibbertyjibbet]

thats why my face is all wrinkly and creased, I should try going out arse up! But comment taken, my book is for childrens decorated birthday cakes.

[suzywong]

"
"Cooling the cake is an art in itself. Allow larger cakes to stand on a rack before turning out carefully. Do not run a knife around a sponge cake to remove it from the tin. If stuck to the bottom of the tin, standing it on a cloth wrung out in hot water may help. Turn the cake out onto a folded cloth to prevent wire marks. Wire marks are regarded as a major fault in competition cookery. Turn the cake right way up by placing another cloth covered rack on top and carefully turning the cake over."

an excerpt from this little treasure trove of tips

don't say I never do nothing for you

[suzywong]

no, no robinpud, it was definitely from a mag, and it also gave the best ever recipe for lemon and lime poppyseed cake and I binned it. I will put on my Blundies and kick myself now.

[Slubberdegullion]

216,000 hits suzywong. Now I am keen to avoid cooling rack imprints but I'm not sure I have the devotion or mental energy to look through all of them....too many about Lamingtons anyway.



I don't want to start trimming my VSC I'm a cack hand with a knife.

[StiltonSoupDragon]

I really don't think you can enter something described as a "proudly erect" cake in the village show.

[chocolateteapot]

Here's someone's cake making secrets. Not sure about the dropping bit though [hmmm]