So many of the baked goods we buy ready made these days are full of preservatives, artificial flavours and colours - but even the healthiest of diets needs to include the odd treat. One of the easiest ways round this is to make all your baked goods - from cookies to cakes - yourself. This way you know exactly what is in them, and you only bake what you need, so you don’t end up with lots of treats hanging round tempting you in the cupboard. Plus, when you do have a treat, it’s tastes so good, it’s worth the splurge. 

This is a plain and simple cake, using very basic ingredients, but it tastes amazing. The trick is to use high quality ingredients - organic butter and sugar, free range or organic eggs and unbleached flour. I’m not going to pretend it is very nutritious, but at least it isn’t bad for you!

You can frost it however you like, and use whatever fruit you like to decorate it. I have been making this cake forever, and the possibilities are endless. Let’s face it, when your original recipe is pretty foolproof, you can have a lot of fun with it! 

¾ cup butter, softened

1½ cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour (unbleached if possible)

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350℉ or 160℃.  Grease and flour or line two eight inch round pans.

Cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add the vanilla and beat together. 

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.  Gently blend this mixture into the buttery eggy mixture alternatively with the milk - keep the electric mixer keep it on low to avoid being covered in flour! 

Divide the batter between the two baking pans. 

Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a piece of dried spaghetti or skewer inserted into the centre of the cake layers comes out clean. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for about ten minutes.  Remove from the pans and cool on wire racks.  When completely cold, the layers can be frosted and sandwiched together to make a two layer cake.  Fill and frost - with as healthy ingredients as possible - as desired!

Linking up with:-