My mum has a bit of a sweet tooth. The kind who must have some kind of sweet treat with her cup of tea after lunch. We usually keep some store-bought fruit cake on hand, but there has been flooding here in Australia and the shelves have been bare. So I decided to look up Grandma’s recipe book to find a simple and delicious tea cake we could bake for her at home. Enter, Gold Cake….
I’ve never heard of Gold Cake before, but this Gold Cake recipe looked about as simple and delicious as they come. Plus, I had some mixed fruit left over from my Christmas baking that needed to be used up. Perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone! Time to get baking….
There is nothing in this recipe that is complicated or requires extra explanation. My 3 year old daughter, Sienna, helped me measure, mix and sift (and lick the bowl, of course!). Into the oven our Gold Cake went, and we waited as our house proceeded to fill with the beautiful aroma of home-baked cake.
Our Gold Cake was truly golden and ready after 35 minutes in the oven. After allowing it to cool, we sliced and served it to the whole family (it was perfectly timed for the after lunch sweet treat). It was a hit! Everyone in the family loved it, especially my mum. She confessed that her favourite cake would have to be a tea cake, and I was surprised that all the children enjoyed it despite the mixed fruit and lack of icing, etc.
The flavours were well-balanced and comforting, tasting like something I imagine you would enjoy on a farm homestead. I have you enjoy it as much as we did!
- 4oz. (115gms) Butter or substitute
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1¼ cups self-rising (self-raising) flour
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup chopped mixed fruit
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg-yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Fold in sifted flour, fruit and milk alternately.
- Spoon into greased deep 6in. (15cm) square cake tin.
- Bake in moderately hot oven 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into cake comes out clean.
