SUMMER has arrived and those local agricultural shows, garden and school fetes, and picnics are around the corner.

If you have children in school, you are well aware of the demands on parents and grandparents for fund-raising.

The recipe today is very simple, but delicious and should earn you some brownie points.

It is easy to transport to your event and should not spoil.

If, like me, you like to have a pudding / dessert after a meal out because you need to sweeten you palette (good excuse, eh!), I would always go for the sticky toffee pudding; there is something about the rich cake soaked in a buttery butterscotch sauce that I can’t resist.

I would normally make this pudding in the winter months, but I have developed a lighter version in a cake form.

So, it can be a treat all year round.

Step back and enjoy your handy work, I wish you success in your fundraising.

Happy baking!

STICKY TOFFEE CAKE

Cake ingredients:

225g (8ozs) of dried dates

300ml (1/2 pint) of water

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

175g (6ozs) of light soft brown sugar

115g (4ozs) of butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 beaten eggs

175g (6ozs) of self raising flour

Toffee icing ingredients:

6 tablespoons of double cream

80g (3ozs) of light brown sugar

25g (1oz) of butter

25g (1oz) of golden icing sugar, or ordinary icing sugar, sifted

Method:

1. Grease and line a 28x18cm (11 x 7inch) tin.

2. Set oven to Gas mark 4 / 180C / 350F.

3. Chop dates and place in a small pan with the water, bring to the boil and continue to boil uncovered for about 10 minutes until the water has been absorbed and the dates are softened.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the bicarbonate of soda and stir to incorporate into the mixture. Leave this to cool.

5. Cream together the sugar, butter or margarine and the vanilla extract.

6. Gradually add the eggs and then fold in the flour.

7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface, but make a slight dip in the centre.

8. Bake for about 40 minutes until risen and just set. You may need to cover the cake 10 minutes before this time as the dates may burn.

9. Take out of the oven and leave in the tin for about 15 minutes before taking out of the tin and cooling on a wire rack.

To make the icing:

1. Gently heat the cream, light brown sugar and butter in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. When this is done, bring the mixture to the boil and cook uncovered for around four minutes until golden, do not stir and be careful the mixture does not become too dark. Take the mixture off the heat and leave to cool.

2. When the mixture is cold, beat in the sifted icing sugar until smooth.

3. Use a wetted palette knife to spread the mixture over the cake and leave to set before cutting into whatever shape you would like.