26 jun

Country Women’s Raffle Cake

Mrs WM Hammond, Wagga Branch

MAKES TWO 25 CM CAKES

625 g (2½ cups) butter, softened

500 g caster sugar

12 eggs

2 tablespoons plum jam

1 tablespoon sweet orange marmalade

500 g raisins

500 g sultanas

500 g currants

250 g dates, pitted, chopped

625 g plain flour

2 tablespoons ground mixed spice

1 nutmeg, freshly grated

125 g (1 cup) slivered almonds

250 ml (1 cup) brandy

1½ teaspoons vanilla essence

1½ teaspoons lemon essence

Preheat oven to 150°C. Line two 25 cm cake tins with several layers of baking paper.

Using an electric beater, beat butter and sugar in a bowl until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each. Add the jam and marmalade.

Combine all the dried fruits in a large bowl with enough of the flour to lightly coat the fruit, tossing to combine well.

Sift the remaining flour with the spices into a bowl. Combine the flour mixture with the creamed mixture in a very large bowl, stirring to mix well. Stir in the fruits, almonds, brandy and essences.

Spoon batter into tins, smoothing the top even. Bake for 4½–5 hours, or until a skewer inserted in the centres comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in the tins.