Simplicity Chocolate Cake ~ Australian Classic

I'm in cake heaven again. Recently I was reading about my favourite cake my Nana made on a blog. In it the cake was adapted to make lemon muffins and I was thrilled. My Nana made variations as well, mostly lamingtons. I found on the net more variations. Today I was even more thrilled to find in a fund raiser book I bought recently, and older one reprinted, more variations. I have been having such fun with this book. I have made Sweet Impossible Pie for one thing.

Muffins
Variations 1
Variations 2

I have written the recipe in a composite of my Nana's recipe and the fundraiser recipe.

Simplicity Chocolate Cake

3 tab or oz butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 level tabs cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 cup Self Raising Flour
2 eggs
1/2 or 1 teaspoon almond or vanilla.

Melt the butter. Pull all other ingredients into a large basin and pour the melted butter on top of them. Beat really hard for 3 (8?) minutes, or low speed beat hard for 2-3 minutes. Pour the mixture into a prepared tin and bake in moderate oven. Be careful not to overcook. Time will depend on size and shape of tin. Loaf tin 350oF or 180oC for approximately 40 minutes.

Ice chocolate cake with chocolate icing and nuts or just dust with icing sugar.

Lamingtons

Make simplicity chocolate cake without using the cocoa.

Lamington Icing:

1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon butter
1 cup hot water

Place in saucepan and bring to boil. Thicken with 1 dessertspoon custard powder (Bird's if you are in the US) and 1 dessertspoon cocoa. Boil 5 minutes.

Cut cake into squares and dip into icing. Sprinkle with coconut.

Cinnamon Cake
1 teaspoon mixed spice and 1 teaspoon cinnamon (instead of cocoa)

Orange Cake
Juice of 1/2 an orange and rind and make up to 1/2 cup of milk (replaces cocoa and milk).

Passionfruit Cake
2 tablespoon of passionfruit and make to 1/2 cup of milk (replaces cocoa and milk).