Sticky Date Cake

Ingredients:

• 225g stoned dates, chopped
• 300ml boiling water
• 115g butter, softened
• 175g castor sugar
• 3 eggs
• 225g self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Topping:

• 85g light muscovado sugar
• 55g butter
• 3 tbsp double cream

Method:
Place the dates in a bowl and cover them with the boiling water. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan, 160C. Grease a 23cm round cake tin.
Place the butter and sugar together and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at the time till mix well. Then fold in the flour and cinnamon.
Add bicarbonate of soda to the dates, then pour onto the creamed mixture. Stir until well mixed. Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until well risen and firm to the touch.
Preheat the grill to medium. To make the topping, place the sugar, butter and cream in a saucepan. Set over a low heat, stirring, until the sugar has melted, then bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
Pour over the cake and place the cake under preheated grill until the topping is bubbling. Leave to cool in the tin until the topping has set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Butterfly Cakes

Ingredients:

• 150g butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150g self-raising flour
• ½tsp baking powder
• 4tbsp raspberry jam
• 150g fresh raspberries, for decoration

Method:

Heat the oven to 180C/ fan 160C. Line a cupcake tray with papers. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and again beat the mixture.

Fold in the flour and baking powder and then spoon into the paper cases. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden and set. Remove and cool on a baking wire.

When cool, using a small knife, cut out a circle at the top of each cake and cut these in half. Fill each cupcake with a little spoonful of jam, carefully press the straight sides of the cut pieces into the jam, then top each with a raspberry and dust lightly with some icing sugar

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Ingredients:

• 225g castor sugar
• 225g butter, softened
• lemons, 3 zest and 2 juiced
• 4 medium eggs
• 200g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 50g ground almond
• icing sugar

Method:

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C. Butter and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin.

Beat the butter and sugar till light and creamy. Add in the lemon zest (reserve some for decoration) and mix well.

Whisk the eggs gradually into the butter mixture, beating well between each addition, don't worry if it curdles

Sift together the flour and baking powder and fold into the cake mixture using a spatula. Add in the ground almonds and 3/4 of the lemon juice and fold until thoroughly combined. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour or until the skewer inserted into the middleof the cake comes out without any raw mix on it. Put the cake tin on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile mix together the remaining lemon juice and zest and enough icing sugar to make a runny icing and then drizzle over the top of the cake. Cool in the cake tin for a further 30 minutes and then remove from the tin and cool completely before serving.

Orange Drizzle Cake

Ingredients:

• 175g castor sugar
• 175g butter, softened
• 25g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• 175 self raising flour
• juice and rind of 2 oranges

for the drizzle:

• 1/2 juice of the above
• 4 tbsp sugar

Method:
Grease and line a standard tea-loaf tin and pre heat oven to 180C

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in the flour and the baking powder until combined.

Finally beat in the ground almonds, orange rind and about half the juice carefully not to let the mixture curdle.

Smooth the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for approx 45 mins to 50 mins until golden brown and the skewer comes out clean.

Dissolve the sugar in the remaining orange juice. Remove the cake from the oven and prick all over with the skewer. Then drizzle the juice mixture all over the cake. Allow to cool slightly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.