This  is a recipe that brings many of my childhood memories.  Helping my Mom to make this cake, the first task I was allowed to do was to take the stones out of the dates and then onto chopping with my Mom overseeing.  It is such a simple recipe, that was then and still is now, a great one for beginners to start with.  So if you feel you can’t bake a cake this one will prove you can! You will need the following 1 tablespoon Butter 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Essence 1 teaspoon of Bicarbonate Soda 1 cup Boiling water 1 1/2 cups Self Raising Flour 1/4 lb Dates or a mix of  Dates and Sultanas 1 Egg 3/4 cup Sugar A dash of warm milk Set the oven to 180C, 350F or Gas Mark 4 Butter and flour a 1lb … Read entire article »