Rum and Raisin Cake

This is the cake I always make when we go on a picnic. The raisins need to be soaked in the rum beforehand. I do it over night if I am baking it fresh the next day. I also leave the butter out of the fridge overnight so it is soft enough.

Ingredients

175g / 6 oz raisins
6 tablespoons rum ( I used Captain Morgan's as it is spiced and I love the flavour you can use any Rum)
275g / 10oz butter, softened
175g / 6oz golden caster sugar
4 eggs
50ml (2fl oz) milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract / bean paste
275g / 10oz plain white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
50g / 2 oz walnut, hazelnuts or pecans chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons dark moscavado sugar

23cm (9 inch) round tin with spring form base buttered and floured

Soak the raisins for 30 mins. Drain and reserve the rum, and set the raisins aside.

Preheat the oven to 180oC/160oC Fan/ gas mark 4.

Cream the butter, add the caster sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Seperate the eggs and set the whites aside. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, to the creamed butter, beating well between each addition. Mix in the rum, milk and vanilla extract.

Mix flour and baking powder and fold I. A little at a time, to the base mixture.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fluffy. Working in batches of a 1/3rd and fold into the cake mixture, with the last 1/3 add the raisins and chopped nuts.

Pour mixture into greased tin, sprinkle with moscavado sugar and bake for 45 - 60 mins or until the top is golden and the centre firm and set. Allow the cake to cool in the tin. Then cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy x x x