Basic Sponge Pudding

• 4 ounces butter or 4 ounces margarine
• 4 ounces caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces self-raising flour (or plain flour with 1 tsp of baking powder)
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon milk

1. Heat oven Gas 4/355F degrees.
2. Well butter 2 1/2 to 3 inch deep pie dish.
3. Cream together the butter or margarine and sugar.
4. Add eggs one at a time with a little flour until smooth.
5. Add remaining flour, baking powder (if used) and salt, beating well.
6. Add the milk, and beat again.
7. Pour mixture into dish and smooth the top.
8. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until well risen and brown.
9. Variations to the Basic Sponge: Sultana Sponge; Put 2 oz sultanas in the bottom and around the sides of a well buttered dish, pour on the mixture.
10. Apricot Sponge: Add 3 soaked apricots chopped small, to the mixture, put 3 or 4 apricot halves in the bottom of the dish, pour on the sponge mixture.
11. Jam Sponge: Put 3 or 4 tblsp of any kind of jam in the bottom of the dish, pout on the sponge mixture.
12. Syrup Sponge: Put 1 tblsp of golden syrup in the bottom of the dish, pour on mixture.
13. Chocolate Sponge; Substitute 1 tblsp cocoa for 1 oz.
14. flour, sieving it with the flour.
15. Ginger Sponge; Add 1 tspn ground ginger to the flour and use 4 oz golden syrup instead of sugar, melted in warmed milk.
16. Black Cap Pudding:Put a tblspn cleaned currants in the bottom of the dish, pour on the mixture.

butter, caster sugar, eggs, flour, salt, milk

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/basic-sponge-pudding-22931 (may not work)