Reader’s Report – Diana Dors Easy Fruit Cake

My ex Vic has never made a cake before.  He recently got it into his head to have a go at Diana’s which was a recipe of the month a while back so I loaned him one of my cake tins and a cooling tray.  As you will see from this photo, it was a great success (please note Diana lifting a fetlock in approval).

It was interesting talking to him about his process.  It’s very easy to forget that when someone isn’t used to following a recipe, if directions are vague, there is a lot of margin for error.  Diana’s cake recipe was given to her by her mother-in-law (Alan Lake’s mother) and it is definitely written in the style of the day – assuming a basic knowledge of how to make a cake.  Apparently Vic made some kind of schoolboy error early on which meant he had to throw loads of flour away after consulting with his girlfriend’s mum on the telephone.  But he persevered and in the end created a very good cake.  He says that he might have another go “for a special occasion” but next time he wants to put cherries in.

This is good, he’s already thinking of a recipe modification…  He admits that he was very pleased with himself.  Look how proud he is of his cake!

He did make me laugh a while back when he came round for an episode of The Rockford Files.  He spotted some left over roast potatoes and said, “Did you have a roast dinner on Sunday?” and when I told him I’d made Errol Flynn’s Roast Leg of Lamb for Mr R. he said, “He’s getting all your good recipes these days, I don’t get nothing no more” – ha ha!