Family Cake

40 minutes - 50 minutes

Scroll to the bottom of the Method to see questions Lindsey has answered on this recipe

This recipe is from Delia's Cakes.

Nothing very trendy or sexy here.

We thought maybe time had moved on. But we were so wrong. This cake has a charm all of its own, top votes from tasters and fits the bill for everything – packed lunches, picnics or just a little treat with a cup of tea or coffee.

The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch how to make more cake recipes in our Family Cakes lesson. Just click the image to play.

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Ask a Question

Family Cake Sinking

Asked by: Sal

Help! What am I doing wrong? I’ve now made the Family cake three time and it looks lovely when it comes out of the oven (after testing) but it then sinks in the middle - ending up lower than it went in! All the rest is ok coming right up to the top of the tin. And it tastes so good that my family keep asking for it

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, It sounds like it may be too much baking powder. It needs to be just a rounded teaspoon. Other reasons could be… Under baking Oven opened too frequently Oven running too high, so it looks cooked when it isn’t Kind regards Lindsey

Method

First of all sift the flour and baking powder into a roomy mixing bowl, lifting the sieve quite high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down.

Then simply add the butter, caster sugar, eggs and almond extract. Now, using an electric hand whisk, combine them for about 1 minute until you have a smooth creamy consistency. Next fold in the dried fruits and cherries. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading it out evenly with the back of a tablespoon, then sprinkle the surface of the cake with the demerara sugar and flaked almonds and bake near the centre of the oven for about 40–50 minutes or until the centre feels springy to the touch.

Leave in the tin to cool for 10 minutes before turning out. Store in an airtight tin. Serve cut into squares.

Ingredients

275g self-raising flour

1 rounded teaspoon baking powder

225g spreadable butter

225g caster sugar

4 large eggs

a few drops almond extract

110g mixed dried fruit

25g natural glacé cherries, sliced

1½ level tablespoons demerara sugar

50g flaked almonds

Equipment

You will need a well buttered Delia Online Oblong Tin 20cm x 26cm, 4cm deep (or similar), with a liner

The Delia Online bakeware range is now available online, and you can buy our Oblong Tin and Liners direct from Silverwood.
Click here for the tin
Click here for the liner