Thrifty old English teacake

This one's an oldie but a goodie! Old English Tea-Cake. Takes about 5 minutes to throw together, an hour to cook and makes your kitchen smell cosy all afternoon.

So here's what you need:

• 9oz/250g Self Raising Flour
• 4oz/110g Sugar
• 1 tsp Bicarb. of Soda
• 1 tsp Mixed Spice
• 4oz/110g Butter
• 220ml Hot Black Tea
• 6oz/170g Mixed Dried Fruit
• 1 Egg
• An 8" or 7" round cake tin

And here's how you do it:

First, assemble a dry bowl i.e. put the flour, bicarb, mixed spice and sugar all in one bowl and stir

Secondly, in a saucepan, over a medium heat, put the butter, pour over the tea and add the mixed fruit. Once the butter has all melted and the fruit has swollen slightly (couple of minutes, give it a stir, and pour into the dry bowl.

Give it all a good mix. For a while, it looks as if the mixture isn't going to come together, but then suddenly it does. A sublime baking moment!

Crack the egg in a cup, whisk up with a fork, and add to the mixture, stirring firmly with a wooden spoon.

Tip the cake mixture into a greased 7 or 8" cake tin (the recipe works with either) and bake at Gas Mark 4/180 deg or 160 deg fan assisted, for about an hour.

The result - a beautiful thrifty cake which tastes lovely on it's own and just splendid with a smear of butter on a slice. Plus a warm kitchen, a lovely homely smell and the glow that can only come from baking success! ;)