30 jun

American Nut Cake

Mrs Clarence, Boggabri Branch

MAKES ONE 20 CM CAKE

125 g (½ cup) butter, softened

220 g (1 cup) caster sugar

2 eggs, separated

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

125 ml (½ cup) milk

300 g (2 cups) plain flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

125 g (1 cup) chopped walnuts

170 g (1 cup) raisins

Lemon Icing

2 tablespoons milk, or as required

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons butter, softened

200 g (1¹/₃ cups) sifted icing sugar, or as required

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and flour a 20 cm cake tin.

Using an electric beater, beat butter in a bowl until very light and creamy. Beat in the sugar and egg yolks. Mix the soda and milk in a cup, then stir into the creamed mixture. Sift the flour and tartar into a bowl, then stir into the creamed mixture with the walnuts and raisins.

Whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form and fold into the mixture. Spoon batter into the tin, smoothing the top even.

Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean Cool the cake in the tin for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing, using an electric beater, combine the milk, lemon juice, butter and icing sugar in a bowl and beat well. Stir in the lemon zest. Add a little more icing sugar if the mixture is too thin, or more milk if it is too thick: it should have a smooth, spreadable consistency. Spread icing on the cooled cake.