Butter Cake With Variations - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 ounces butter (125 grams)
4 1/2 ounces caster sugar (3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs
8 ounces self raising flour (2 cups)
1/8 teaspoon salt (a pinch)
1/2 cup milk (I use a low fat)

Preparation

Grease a loaf tin.
Preheat oven to 175\u00b0C.
Sift flour and salt 3 times.
In a mixing bowl cream butter and castor sugar with vanilla essence until mixture is white, light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each.
Fold sifted flour into creamed mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour.
When mixture is smooth, pour into prepared tin.
Lightly smooth top and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a fine skewer will come out clean.
Cool cake on few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
VARIATIONS.
Lemon Cake - add the grated rind of 1 lemon and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, omit the vanilla essence.
Orange Cake - add the grated rind of 1 orange and 2 teaspoons of orange juice, omit the vanilla essence.
Sultana Cake - add 4 to 6 ounces of sultanas and 1 teaspoon of spice. (now 3/4 cup sultanas and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or mixed spice).
Seed Cake - add 1 tablespoon caraway seeds to mixture and sprinkle extra teaspoon of seeds on top before baking.
Spice Cake - sift 1 teaspoon spice with flour, add 4 ounces chopped dates or chopped walnuts to mixture. (now sift 1 teaspoon spice - ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom or mixed spice with the flour and add 3/4 cup chopped dates or walnuts to the mixture).
Chocolate Cake - add 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, dissolved in a little milk. (now - add 60 grams melted dark chocolate to creamed mixture, before the flour).