Ingredients
- 225g/9oz self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 200g/8oz caster sugar
- 200g/8oz butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp milk
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C. Grease a deep 20cm/8in round cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
- Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, butter and eggs into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until everything is mixed together. Increase the speed and whisk for 2 minutes. Stir in the milk.
- Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the centre of the cake springs back when lightly pressed, and the mixture is starting to come away from the sides of the tin. Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool before decorating.
Notes
Can be baked in a deep 18cm/7in or 20cm/8in round tin. Keeps in an airtight tin for 2-3 days. FREEZE AHEAD: Before decorating, allow the cake to cool, then freeze in a rigid container for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before decorating. USE SOFTENED BUTTER: The all-in-one cake is traditionally made with soft margarine, but butter is preferred for flavour. For the butter to mix easily it needs to be soft, about the texture of thick mayonnaise. Keep it at room temperature or soften it slightly first in the microwave. FLAVOUR VARIATIONS - Chocolate: replace 25g/1oz flour with 25g/1oz cocoa powder. Orange: stir the finely grated zest of 1 orange into the mixture with the eggs. Vanilla: add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the mixture with the eggs.