Ginger Cake

Ginger cake is about as grown-up as a cake can get.

Faintly spicy and mysterious, these dark-crumbed teatime treats are something that appeal more as you get older.

The magic of ginger cake is that it is often all the better after a few days wrapped in foil.

The top which may have been lightly crisp on leaving the oven, will have taken on a pleasing tackiness, the inside will have become altogether more moist, and the flavours will have mellowed.

Ingredients:

8 oz (225g) Self-Raising Flour
6 oz (175g) Butter
6 oz (175g) Caster Sugar
4-6 Pieces Preserved Stem Ginger in Syrup, chopped
2 tbsp Ginger Syrup, (from jar)
3 Large Eggs
2 tbsp Milk
1 tbsp Treacle (Black Syrup)
1 tbsp Ground Almonds
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Fresh Root Ginger, grated

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 170°C: 325°F: Gas 3.

Grease and line a 15 x 25.5cm (6 x 10inch) cake tin.

Whisk together the butter and sugar, until light and creamy.
Add the beaten eggs gradually with a little of the flour.
Fold in the ginger syrup and treacle (black syrup).

Sift the flour and ground ginger, gradually fold in.

Fold in the almonds, the milk, the grated root ginger and chopped stem ginger.
Spoon the mixture in to the cake tin and spread evenly.

Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake has risen and is springy and firm to touch in the centre.

Allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes
Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Serve as cut squares or top with lemon icing.