Ale and Date Cake Recipe

225 g/8 oz/1 cup butter or margarine, softened
450 g/1 lb/2 cups soft brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten
450 g/1 lb/4 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
175 g/6 oz/1 cup stoned (pitted) dates, chopped
100 g/4 oz/1 cup chopped mixed nuts

10 ml/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon
5 ml/1 tsp ground mixed (apple-pie) spice
2.5 ml/0.5 tsp salt
500 ml/17 fl oz/2.25 cups beer or lager

Method:

Cream together the butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the beer until you have a soft mixture. Spoon into a greased and lined 23 cm/9 in cake tin (pan) and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 1 hour until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to finish cooling.