BAKING

Dates and raisins cake

Ingredients
All purpose flour-1 cup
Butter-2 tbsp
dates pitted and chopped-quarter cup
baking powder 1 tsp
baking soda-half tsp
sugar-3/4 cup
vanilla essence-1 tsp
condensed milk-half cup
raisins-one handful.
Method
Preheat oven to 180degree centigrade or 350 degree fahrenheit
Soak dates and raisins in warm water for 15 minutes.Sift baking powder cooking soda and APF in a sieve.
In the meantime beat butter and sugar till smooth and fluffy either with a hand whisk or an electric beater.Put the soaked dates and raisins in a blender and blend for a second.they must be crushed and not made into paste.

add this to the butter sugar mix and blend well.Add condensed milk and mix in the flour gradually.fold in the mixture.do not stir vigorously..add the vanilla essence and blend well.Grease a baking tray with oil and flour and then pour the mix and gently tap the tray to avoid formation of air bubbles.
Bake for 30-40 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 degree centigrade.Take out when a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.