Not-so-Humble Vanilla Cake

This simple vanilla cake recipe was the go to recipe for my mother since childhood and this is the first ever cake I baked. Made this very simple vanilla cake for parents as they were leaving. This is the basic cake recipe with endless possibility to add different flavours. 

It was after a long time I baked this. However, Baba insisted that I add some nuts to it.

I was making it for my parents to carry while they way back home. So, I preferred to make it in a loaf tin as it always easier to slice than a round cake.

Packed half of it with them and kept the other half slices in a box. Trust me, it has been just two days and just one small sad piece is left in the box waiting for someone to prowl on it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/4th cup oil
• 1 1/14th cup castor sugar.
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 10 drops vanilla essence
• 1 cup chopped nuts - Walnuts, Pecan nuts, Almonds
• 1 cup chopped dried fruits - Black Raisin, Prunes, Dried Cranberries, Dried Figs.

Method:

• Sift all the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the wet ingredient and mix very well with a whisk. If it’s too much work you can mix it in a stand mixer or even blender. 
• After all the ingredients are mixed really well add the nuts and the fruits and fold in the batter with a spatula. Do not over mix it. It is going to be a thick batter. 

• Prep the baking tin with a coating of oil and sprinkle of flour. Shake off the excess flour. 
• Bake it in the pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 1 hour or till the cake passes the toothpick test. The nuts and fruits may seem like a lot but when you bite into a piece of this, you will know it is just perfect.

To make it a little bit more ... umm... interesting , poke the cake all over with a toothpick and pour you favourite liquor all over with a spoon. My choice was definitely kahlúa.

You can use Dark Rum, Baileys or any coffee flavour liquor. I think Orange Liquor will also taste good.