EVERYDAY FRUIT CAKES 

ALMOND BUTTER CAKE 

• 250g butter 
• 2 cups plain flour 
• 4 eggs 
• 1 cup castor sugar 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 tablespoon plain flour, extra 
• 90g ground almonds 
• 30g flaked almonds 

Cream butter and flour in the large bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat eggs and sugar in a small bowl until thick and creamy. Sift baking powder and extra flour together, add ground almonds, and fold into egg mixture alternately with creamed butter mixture. Spread into the deep well - greased 20cm round cake tin, smooth top, and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake in a slow oven for approximately 2 hours.

APRICOT AND WALNUT LOAF 

• 185g dried apricots 
• 1 cup water 
• 2 cups self-raising flour 
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 
• ½ cup castor sugar 
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind 
• 90g walnuts 
• ½ cup orange juice 
• 1 egg 
• 60g butter 

Place chopped apricots and water in the pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer covered until tender ( about 5 minutes ), and drain; reserve ¼ cup of the liquid. Cool apricots to room temperature. Sift flour, soda, and sugar into the bowl, add apricots, orange rind, and chopped walnuts. Combine orange juice, egg, melted butter, and reserved apricot liquid together; add to dry ingredients; and mix well. Spoon into a greased loaf tin ( base measures 11cm x 18cm ) lined with greaseproof paper, and bake in mod moderately slow oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Stand in tin for 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool. Serve warm or cold, sliced with butter.

GINGER CAKE 

• 125g butter
• ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup golden syrup 
• ½ cup sultanas 
• 60g glace ginger 
• 2 cups plain flour 
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 
• ½ cup milk 
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 

Cream butter and sugar, beat until light and fluffy, beat in eggs one at a time. Fold in golden syrup, sultanas, chopped ginger sifted flour, and ground ginger. Warm milk , add soda. Stir immediately into the cake mixture. Pour into greased lamington tin ( base measures 16cm x 26cm ), and bake in a moderately slow oven for 1 hour.

BOILED DATE CAKE 

• 185g butter 
• 1 cup milk 
• ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed 
• 1 cup finely chopped dates 
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 
• 2 eggs 
• 2½ cups self-raising flour 

Combine butter, milk, sugar, and chopped dates in a pan, stir over heat until butter is melted, bring to a boil, remove from heat, stir in soda, and stand 5 minutes. Stir in lightly beaten eggs and sifted flour in two lots, and mix well. Pour mixture into a well-greased 20cm ring tin, and bake in a moderate oven for 40 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool. Serve buttered.

SULTANA CHERRY CAKE

•  ½ cup sugar
•  ½ cup water 
• 250g butter 
• 2 teaspoons glycerine 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 cups plain flour 
• 4 eggs 
• 3/4 cup castor sugar 
• 500g sultanas 
• 185g glace cherries 
• 60g mixed peel 
• 3/4 cup self-raising flour 

Combine sugar and water in the pan, stir over heat until sugar is dissolved, and bring to boil. Remove syrup from heat. cool . Cream butter with glycerine and vanilla in a large basin of an electric mixer until the butter is as white as possible. Add sifted plain flour, and beat on low speed until combined. Increase speed slightly, and beat for 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat eggs and castor sugar in a small basin of an electric mixer until the mixture is thick and the sugar dissolves. Add half the egg mixture to the butter and flour mixture, and beat on low speed until combined. Add the remaining egg mixture, and beat only until combined. Stir in sultanas, halved cherries, and peel, then sift self-raising flour with cold syrup. Spread mixture into greased and greased paper - lined deep 23cm round or deep 20cm square cake tin. Bake in a slow oven for 2 1/2 hours, or until cooked when tested. Leave in the tin until the cake is cold.

Also Read: YUMMY FRUIT CAKES