Rum & Raisin Cake

This lovely boozy cake with its decadent rum buttercream icing is delicious with a cuppa or seved slightly warm with cream. You could even serve it as an alternative to Christmas Pud! Decorate however you like with Christmassy characters or simply dusted with icing sugar.

I have used a traybake tin for this but of course you can use a round cake tin if you prefer.

Serves 10-12 (depending on how big your slices are!) Approx 40p per slice

Prep time 10 mins Cooking time 25-30 mins

Icing time 10 minutes

Soak the raisins in the rum for about 2 hours or until they have soaked up all the liquid.

Grease & line a rectangular traybake cake tin approx 32cm x 23cm.

Pre-heat the oven to 170 Fan/190C/Gas 5.

Cream together the butter & sugar until light & fluffy then mix in the egg until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder & baking powder.

Add to the egg mixture a couple of spoonfuls at a time alternating with the milk until everything is mixed together.

Fold in the raisins.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin & bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Place the cooked cake on a wire rack to cool.

Once the cake is completely cooled make the icing.

Sieve together the icing sugar & cocoa powder. Put the butter into a mixing bowl & beat together with the icing sugar a little at a time along with the rum.

Spread the icing on top of the cake as evenly as possible right up to the corners.

Decorate as you like.

Cut into squares.

The cake should keep for about 2-3 days in an airtight container.