Old-fashioned Treacle Cake

The treacle gives a rich colour and a deep flavour to this easy-to-make cake, which is perfect for a mid-morning snack with a cup of tea or coffee.
 75g/3oz/6 tbsp butter, cut into small cubes
150g/5oz/1 cup mixed dried fruit
1 egg
15ml/1 tbsp black treacle (molasses)you could do this in a food processor
100ml milk
250g/9oz/2 cups self raising flour
 2.5ml mixed (apple pie) spice
25g/1oz/2 tbsp caster sugar
 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Butter a shallow 20-23cm/8-9in ovenproof flan dish or baking tin (pan).
 2. Sift the flour and spice into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and, with your fingers, rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbles. Alternatively you could do this in a food processor. Stir in the sugar and mixed dried fruit.
3. Beat the egg and, with a small whisk or fork, stir in the treacle and then the milk. Stir the liquid into the flour to make a fairly stiff but moist consistency, adding a little extra milk if necessary.
 4. Transfer the cake mixture to the prepared dish or tin with a spoon and level out the surface.
 5. Bake the cake in the hot oven and cook for about 1 hour until it has risen, is firm to the touch and fully cooked through. To check if the cake is cooked, insert small skewer in the centre-it should come out free of sticky mixture.
 6. Leave the cooked treacle cake to cool completely. Serve it, cut into wedges, straight from the dish.

Photo from http://celtnet-recipes.blogspot.co.uk/