Irish Tea Cake

Okay, there is no tea in this cake!  It is a simple, wholesome cake that is great with tea or coffee.  I have made it several times and it has never disappointed.  It is a dense, hearty cake that will stay for several days without spoiling or losing it's taste or texture.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

Method:   Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Grease and flour a 9 inch round baking dish.

In a bowl cream together the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.  Whisk the eggs with the vanilla essence and add to the butter sugar mixture.  Mix well until fully incorporated. Combine the sieved flour, baking powder and salt and  add to the batter alternating with milk. If the batter is too stiff you can add little more milk. Spread batter into the pan.  Bake for 30 to 35 mins or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.  Remove from the pan and cool cake on a wire rack and then turn onto a plate.

 A tip for those new to baking.  Vanilla essence, added to eggs, erases the smell of eggs from cake.  This is why, whatever the flavour of cake being made, vanilla essence is added to the eggs.