Tea & Cake

I invited some friends round the other weekend for tea and cake because I wanted an excuse to bake. Not of course that you need one...  This is the best sponge cake recipe ever.  Its the one I use for all birthday cakes.  The chocolate icing recipe is from Queen Delia.


Sponge Cake


250g softened unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups of caster sugar
4 eggs 
3 cups self raising flour
1 cup milk


Heat oven to 325F. Grease & line your chosen tin.
Beat butter, vanilla 7 sugar in a bowl until pale & fluffy. The longer the better, at least 5 mins.  Beat in the eggs.  Start off by adding a teaspoon full at a time, gradually adding in a little more each time until combined.  Stir in flour & milk in batches.  Go easy on the milk, sometimes I don't feel the mixture needs all of it. Spread mixture into tin & bake in the oven until the cake has turned a golden colour and a skewer comes out clean.  The time will depend on the type of tin/pan used and your oven.  Usually approx. 30mins. Cool in the tin for 5 mins or so then turn out onto a wire rack.


Chocolate fudge icing


75g granulated sugar
75ml evaporated milk
110g semi sweet chocolate (ie. plain dark)
40g butter
vanilla essence


Stir sugar & evaporated milk in a pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. When all the granules have dissolved bring the mixture to the boil & simmer for 6 mins without stirring.
Take the pan off the heat & stir in the chocolate then butter and drops of vanilla essence.  Allow to cool slightly before icing the cake. It will thicken as it cools.


The above quantities made, filled & iced the cake below, sorry not sure of dimensions (can't be bothered to dig out tin and measure!). Guestimate - 8" inch cake.
I used Smarties & purple sugar to decorate.

Johnny, the play school pet sampling the cake!