Tea Cake

I have recently signed up to go back to study. Only in lightweight mode at the moment, but nevertheless when a hefty pile of core readings materialised in my living room recently, I decided that today would be my first proper study session in many years. Fortunately, I also remembered two things:

1. Study requires delicious snacks in order to really be productive
2. Study makes you housebound.

So, what better way to cope than to make a cake. And what better Sunday afternoon cake than a tea cake. A tea cake is dense and fluffy and reminds me of my Mum.  It's easy to throw together and not sickly sweet, so slices can be consumed in multiples.

Here is the secret to a scrumptious tea cake:

Butter. Great big chunks of good quality butter. With some baked goods you can get away with substituting for margarine. Tea cake is not one of those goods.

Tea cake (adapted from the Genazzano cookbook, circa 1965)

Ingredients:

•  5oz butter (8oz in an Australian stick, do the math)
• 1 and a half cups caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 and a half large cups of SR flour
• salt
• vanilla 
• 5 tablespoons boiling water

Icing:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons cocoa
• 2 heaped teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 oz butter, melted

Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and beat in. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix. The result will be a thick, creamy batter.

This is one cake that'll definitely have you licking the beaters clean if you know what's good for you. After cleaning the mixer with your tongue, pour into a greased sandwich loaf tin (This is important. I once used a round tin and the centre didn't cook while the edges burnt).

Bake at 180 C for 50 minutes or until the top springs back to touch. I am still adjusting to the whizbang fan forced oven in my new apartment, and the edges ended up a little too browned, but not too badly.

Make the icing by mixing together the icing ingredients into a delicious gloop, and smear over the cake while the mixture is still hot.

If you are feeling truly decadent, serve a slice warm with butter on it, and a cup of lady grey tea. Then return to your social policy reading a new and cake filled woman.