Family tradition wins double

At the state level competition, held at the Adelaide Showground the day before the start of the Royal Adelaide Show, Ms Buck won the genoa cake competition and the scones competition.

She said to pick up both awards was a “bit of an honour”.

She has been a regular at the competition for a number of years as her aunty was a “great cook”, and Ms Buck used to help chaperone her to Adelaide for the big event.

It was not until after her aunt died that Ms Buck began to try her own skills.

“I found her recipe book with the rich fruit cake and thought I could try that,” she said. “The first one I made, I won.

“I’m a very late comer to this cooking business.”

In the past 13 years, Ms Buck has been putting her skills to the test and has won the genoa and scone competitions before – although never before at the same time – as well as had placings in the genoa and rich fruit cake.

Outside of the competitions, Ms Buck said she does very little cooking.

“I work full-time, so I don’t have time for anything other than cooking for my family,” she said. “I’m not a whizzbang modern cook.”

The genoa cake was a recipe attributed to Vida Symons, who was the mother of judge Claire Stoyel.

Ms Buck said it was printed in the paper about 18 years ago and she found a cut out of it in her aunt’s recipe box.

The scones, which judge Laucke’s customer manager Peter Eglinton preferred, were blueberry.

Ms Buck said the entries were her third attempt to get a batch that she was happy with.

Ms Buck said the biggest problem could be having the chickens lay enough eggs.

“I like to use today’s eggs for the freshness,” she said.

Her other secret weapon is her mother, who helps her by chopping the fruit for the cakes.

Ms Buck urged her fellow bakers to pass their skills and encouragement onto friends and colleagues.

“Don’t let your secrets die away with you; let others know how to do it,” she said.