Orange Cup Cakes Recipe

Orange Cup Cakes Recipe

2 cups self-rising flour
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
½ cup sugar
Finely grated rind of 1 small orange or lemon
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 5 tablespoons milk

Makes 16-18
Place the fluted paper cake cases in 16 to 18 bun tins (cup cake pans).
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter, then mix in the sugar and the orange or lemon rind. Add the egg, vanilla and milk and mix to a softish batter, adding more milk if necessary.
Divide the batter between the paper cases

Plum Cake Recipe

Plum Cake Recipe

10 tablespoons butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 ¾ cups self-rising flour
Pinch of salt
1 lb plums, pitted and sliced
Lemon juice
2 tablespoons apricot or plum jam, melted
Sifted confectioners sugar to dredge

Cream the butter with 75 g/3 oz (6 tablespoons) of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the egg. Sift the flour with the salt and fold into the creamed mixture. Spread 3 quarters of the dough over the bottom of a greased 18 cm/7 inch round deep cake pan
Arrange the plum slices on the dough and sprinkle them with lemon juice and the remaining sugar. Brush with the jam.
Take small pieces of the remaining dough and roll into strips. Arrange in a lattice pattern over the fruit. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (160*C/325*F, Gas mark 3) for 1 hour. Dredge the icing (confectioners’) sugar and cool.

Variations:Other fruits such as apples, cherries, apricots or gooseberries, may be used instead of plums.

Pineapple Upside-down Cake Recipe

Pineapple Upside-down Cake Recipe

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup semolina or cream of wheat
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
½ cup sugar
3 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Little milk

Topping
2 tablespoons butter
2 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar
1 small can pineapple rings, drained
Candied cherries

First make the topping. Melt the butter with the sugar and pour it into an 18 cm/7 inch round cake pan. Arrange the pineapple rings on the bottom of the pan and place a cherry in the center of each ring.

Sift the flour, baking powder and semolina together. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of the flour mixture with each mixture. Fold the remaining flour mixture with vanilla and a little milk. Spread over the fruit in the pan.
Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (190*C/375*F, Gas mark 5) for about 20 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate to serve, warm or cold.

Apple Squares Recipe

Apple Squares Recipe

1 quantity Victoria layer cake batter, made with 1 egg and 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and all spice sifted with the flour
1 ¼ cups stewed apple slices, well drained
Sifted confectioners sugar

Spread half the batter over the bottom of a greased and flowered 20 cm/ 8 inch square deep cake pan. Cover with the apple slices then spread the remaining cake batter over the top. Bake in preheated moderate oven (180*C/350*F, Gas mark 4) for about 45 minutes. Cool, then sprinkle with icing (confectioners’) sugar. Cut into squares to serve.

Rich Madeira Cake Recipe

Rich Madeira Cake Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
Grated rind of 1 small lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 strip candied citron peel (optional)

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cream the butter with the sugar, lemon rind and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour with each egg. Fold in the remaining flour.

Pour into a greased and lined 18 cm/7 inch round deep cake pan or a 1 kg/2 lb (9 X 5 X 3 inch) loaf pan. Place the citron peel on top, if using. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (160 C / 325 F, Gas Mark 3) for 1¾ to 2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Spiced Honey Cake Recipe

Spiced Honey Cake Recipe

1 1/3 cups honey
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
2/3 cup boiling water
1 cup dark brown sugar
4 eggs, beaten
4 cups self-rising flour
1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 heaped teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix the honey with the oil. Dissolve the coffee in the water and add to the honey mixture with the sugar and eggs.

Mix well.

Sift the flour with the spices and soda and stir in to the honey mixture.

Pour into a greased 30 X 25 cm / 12 X 10 inch cake pan.

Bake in a moderate oven (160 C / 325 F, Gas Mark 3) for 1 to 1¼ hours.

Genoa Cake Recipe

Genoa Cake Recipe

2/3 cup seedless white raisins
2/3 cup raisins
½ cup chopped mixed candied peel
2 tablespoons chopped candied cherries
¼ cup finely chopped blanched almonds
1 quantity basic or rich Madeira cake batter

Fold the mixed fruit and nuts into the cake mixture.

Bake in a preheated cool oven (150 C / 300 F, Gas Mark 2) for 2 to 2½ hours. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.

Devil's Food Cake Recipe

Devil's Food Cake Recipe

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
6 tablespoons water
Whipped cream or buttercream


Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, cocoa. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a table spoon of the flour mixture with each one. Fold in the remaining flour mixture alternately with the water.

Divide the batter between two greased and floured or lined 20 cm/8 inch sandwich tins (layer cake pans). Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180 C/350 F, Gas Mark 4) for 50 to 60 minutes or until risen and firm.

Cool in the tins (pans) for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Sandwich together the layers with whipped cream or buttercream and cover the top and sides of the cake with an icing or frosting of your choice.