Nigerian Pound Cake

The Church in northern Nigeria has suffered extreme persecution at the hands of terror group Boko Haram. ACN has responded by providing spiritual support, as well as emergency relief such
as food, medicine and shelter for those caught up in the crisis.

The Nigeria Pound Cake is spiced with nutmeg and satisfyingly dense. It is very popular in Nigeria and is often served on special occasions.

Ingredients

500g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
400g sugar
500g plain flour
10 eggs
½ whole nutmeg, grated (or ½ tsp nutmeg)
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp baking powder
To decorate:
3 tbsp icing sugar
2 tsp milk

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 9in round cake tin, line the base with baking paper and grease the paper.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and nutmeg, and set aside.
3. Beat the eggs with a whisk in a separate bowl and also set aside.
4. Mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Pour the beaten eggs gradually into the butter mixture, alternating with flour and mix well until combined – and add in the vanilla essence.
6. Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin and bake in a preheated oven for about 1 hour 30 minutes. Do reduce the cooking time, if you split the mixture between two cake tins.
7. To check if the cake is baked, insert a skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean your cake is ready.
8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the cake tin.
9. For the icing, mix 3 tablespoons of icing sugar and 2 teaspoons of milk in a bowl until well combined. Drizzle over the cake and serve.

To complete your Nigeria-themed event, why don’t you add plantain chips, roasted peanuts, corn on the cob (for roasting on a BBQ), and some tropical fruit to your shopping list? Or explore even more Nigerian recipes…