This is a recipe from Mrs Beeton's book published in 1919.

Ingredients

• 250g butter
• 1 cup caster sugar
• grated rind of 2 lemons
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup cream or lite cream or whole milk
• 2 cups currants

Method

1. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well between addition.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder together and fold into the creamed mixture with the cream and currants.
3. Divide the mixture evenly between 12cm cake tins and bake at 180 degrees C until cooked. Alternatively bake in pastry cases for approx. 15 minutes.