Pre-heat oven to 180°c/fan oven 160°c/ gas 4
Cream the butter and sugar until light, beat in the eggs and fold in the cream and the vanilla essence.
Sift the flour, bi-carb and spices and carefully fold into the mixture.
Generously butter a baking dish on all surfaces and pour in the pudding mixture.
Cook for 30 minutes at 160c fan the cake may need a little more cooking so turn the oven down to 150c fan and cook for a further 10 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.