You will need:

• 8 oz, 225 g, self-raising flour.
• 4 oz, 110 g, of butter or margarine.
• 4 oz, 110 g, mature cheddar cheese.
• 3 oz, 175 g, of caster sugar.
• 1 level tsp salt.
• 1 heaped tsp of dried mustard.
• 2 eggs.
• a quarter of a pint, 150 ml, of milk.

1. Pre-heat your oven to gas Mark 4, 350 f, 180 c, 150 fan.
2. Grease then line a 2 lb, 900 g, loaf tin with greaseproof or silicone parchment paper, then grease this with a little extra butter or margarine.
3. Grate the cheese onto a plate, using the coarse side of a grater, or alternatively, save time and buy ready grated cheese from a supermarket.
4. Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter or margarine.
5. Stir in the cheese, sugar, salt and mustard powder.
6. Break the eggs into a jug and beat them together well.
7. Add the milk to the jug and mix to combine.
8. Next, pour the contents of the jug into the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and stir them together Thoroughly, but don’t beat. The mixture will be of a soft “dropping” consistency. It will fall from the spoon easily when shaken.
9. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, level the top with a flat bladed knife, and bake just above the centre of the pre-heated oven for approximately one hour, by which time the loaf will have risen well, be firm to the touch and golden brown. Don’t worry if it has cracked slightly on top, this is quite normal for a cake made by the “rubbing in” method. If you are using a fan assisted oven where the temperature is constant, and the position of the tin isn’t important, you may need to lessen the cooking time by about 10 minutes.
10. Leave it in the tin to cool slightly before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool.

This cake will keep for several days and is absolutely irresistible when sliced and spread with a little butter or margarine.

You really will enjoy it,

Sue.