Anna's Real Cakes

"We moved to Devon in 1988, and found it blissfully easy to buy wonderful fresh ingredients for home cooking," says Anna Evans, "Butter straight from the farm, new laid freerange eggs with richly coloured yolks, freerange meat, local, freshly caught fish, unblended Devon honey, thick clotted cream and Devon cider.
Here are some of our favourite cake recipes, using where possible locally purchased ingredients. All the cakes are made with butter which gives a much better flavour than can be achieved using even the best quality margarine.
Both metric and imperial weights are given - either measure can be used successfully - but they should not be mixed. Successful cake baking depends on accurate measurement, and using the tin sizes specified."

 

West Country Cider Tea Bread

This recipe uses local Devon cider, a traditional farmhouse product that is the real taste of the West Country, and definitely something of an acquired taste. The teabread keeps well, and can be eaten either buttered or plain. It is very easy to make, and as it is fat free, even people who are calorie counting can enjoy it as an occasional treat. It is excellent to include in a picnic hamper.

175g. currants (6 ozs.)

175g. sultanas (6 ozs.)

175g. soft brown sugar

1 medium free range egg, lightly beaten

350g. self raising flour (12 ozs.)

275 ml. medium sweet cider (1/2 pint, or 10 fluid ounces)

Put the fruit and sugar in a bowl. Pour over the Devon cider, and stir well. Cover the bowl with cling film, and leave it to stand overnight. The next day stir the fruit and cider mixture, and then tip the egg and flour onto the fruit and mix thoroughly.
Grease and line either a 20 cm. round cake tin (8 inches diameter) or a 2 lb. loaf tin. Pre-heat the over to Gas Mark 3, 170 C (325 F). Put the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven, and wait ten minutes before turning the teabread on to a wire rack to cool completely before storing it in a tin.

 

Devon Cider and Sultana Cake

This recipe also uses local Devon cider and is a quick and easy one. The cake is moist and succulent.

100g. butter (4 ozs.)

100g. light brown sugar (4 ozs.)

225g. sultanas (8 ozs.)

150 ml. cider (1/4 pint, or 5 fluid ounces)

2 medium free range eggs, lightly beaten

225g. self raising flour (8 ozs.)

1 flat teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

1 flat teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Put the first four ingredients into a good sized saucepan, and bring to the boil, stirring frequently. Place the lid on the pan, and leave the contents to simmer for three minutes. Remove from the heat, and when the mixture is lukewarm, stir in the bicarbonate of soda, and then leave until cold..
Grease and line either a 20 cm. round cake tin (8 inches diameter). Pre-heat the over to Gas Mark 4, 180 C (350 F). Bake for45-50 minutes. Cool in the tin for thirty minutes before turning out onto wire rack. Leave until completely cold before storing in a tin.