• If using a fan forced oven, cook at approximately 29° below recommended heat.

• Eggs should weigh approximately 2oz.

• One tablespoon of syrup will replace an egg.

• If your butter is hard to cream, add 1 tablespoon boiling water, this will also help remove “sugar spots”.

• Pour pikelet mixture from point of spoon to get a good shape.

• When making a sponge, beat egg white for approximately 12 minutes.

• Plain sponge sandwich should be joined with jam, preferably raspberry.

• Use no more than 1 teaspoon butter in icing.

• A few drops of glycerine will make icing shiny & white and stop sweating.

• Orange cake should be iced with orange icing, on top only.

• Chocolate icing should match colour of cake.

• Shortbread should be a very pale straw colour.

• Boiled fruit cake should not be too rich, fruit and spices should give the required colouring.

• Over boiling of fruit will make fruit burst and cake will be dry. (2 - 3 minutes boiling is sufficient)

• Top of fruit cake should be nice and glossy, to achieve this, wet your hands and pat top of cake before cooking.

• Jams & jellies should have a slightly tremulous consistency. If boiled too long, they will be stiff.

• Pickles should be made some time before the Show to give them time to mature.

PRESENTATION
All cooking is to be displayed on small white paper plates. A doily may be used. Please ensure entry cards are stapled to the paper plate, and not the wrapping. After judging, competitors may take half the cake home.