BUTTER CAKE WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Grease a loaf tin.
• Preheat oven to 175°C.
• Sift flour and salt 3 times.
• In a mixing bowl cream butter and castor sugar with vanilla essence until mixture is white, light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each.
• Fold sifted flour into creamed mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour.
• When mixture is smooth, pour into prepared tin.
• Lightly smooth top and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a fine skewer will come out clean.
• Cool cake on few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
• VARIATIONS.
• Lemon Cake - add the grated rind of 1 lemon and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, omit the vanilla essence.
• Orange Cake - add the grated rind of 1 orange and 2 teaspoons of orange juice, omit the vanilla essence.
• Sultana Cake - add 4 to 6 ounces of sultanas and 1 teaspoon of spice. (now 3/4 cup sultanas and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or mixed spice).
• Seed Cake - add 1 tablespoon caraway seeds to mixture and sprinkle extra teaspoon of seeds on top before baking.
• Spice Cake - sift 1 teaspoon spice with flour, add 4 ounces chopped dates or chopped walnuts to mixture. (now sift 1 teaspoon spice - ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom or mixed spice with the flour and add 3/4 cup chopped dates or walnuts to the mixture).
• Chocolate Cake - add 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, dissolved in a little milk. (now - add 60 grams melted dark chocolate to creamed mixture, before the flour).