A classic cake, with added fruit to at least make it feel like it’s a good idea. But cake is always a good idea, right?
Ingredients
Cake:
200g unsalted butter / stork
200g caster sugar
3 large eggs
200g self raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 or 2 tbsp milk
Icing:
40g soft unsalted butter
40g full fat cream cheese
150g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Fruit:
150g frozen mixed fruits
1 apple, peeled, cored + chopped
3tbsp caster sugar
2tsp lemon juice
Method
- Heat oven to 180C, grease and line the bottom of two 20cm sandwich tins.
- Using an electric hand mixer, freestanding mixer, or wooden spoon if you’re feeling strong, beat together the butter and sugar until really light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding in a teaspoonful of the weighed flour with each egg so that the mix doesn’t curdle.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Switch to a spatula and gently fold in the remaining flour until fully combined.
- Divide equally between the prepared tins, level, and bake for around 18 minutes until the centre bounces back when pressed lightly.
- Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out and allow to cool completely.
- Next, make the fruit layer.
- Put all of the fruit ingredients in a small saucepan (no need to defrost the fruit), mix, and allow to simmer away for 5-8 minutes or so until the fruit is completely soft.
- Set aside to cool (it’ll thicken a bit while it does that).
- In the mean time, beat together the butter + cream cheese for the icing until completely smooth, then beat in the icing sugar. I find that an electric handwhisk is the way to go here, as you want it to become pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the vanilla extract, and set aside.
- When the fruit and cake have cooled completely, construct your cake by layering the icing and fruit over the first sponge, place the second one on top and sieve over a little icing sugar.
- Admire your handiwork, and tuck in.
From My Kitchen 