Super Duper Ginger Cake

Guys, let me tell you this. This cake is awesome. And I'm not just saying that because I made it. It's just the truth. It's packed full of ginger-y, caramely treacle flavour thanks to the homemade ginger syrup, fresh grated stem ginger, preserved ginger in syrup and ground ginger. Quadruple ginger whammy. It's unbelievably soft, light and stays moist (sorry) for days. What's even better about this cake is- it's even better the next day!

So given how much I'm raving on about how amazing this cake is, you wouldn't believe how long this post has been sat in drafts. Think more along the lines of January! Sorry guys. I think partly the reason is because I almost don't want to share the recipe. Mine. All mine. But after careful consideration, here it is...

The method to making this Super Duper Ginger Cake (as I've appropriately called it) is also super easy. Mix all the wet ingredients together in one bowl, sift dry ingredients into another bowl, add the butter and pour the wet ingredients in and whisk until everything is all lovely and incorporated. It's worth noting that the homemade ginger syrup is so, so worth making as it adds a depth of gingeriness that you just can't achieve with just ground ginger alone. If you don't fancy making the ginger syrup you can replace with 100g golden syrup and 100g black treacle.

Compared to the original recipe I have scaled down the sugar quite considerably and I still think it's sweet enough. My family don't have a sweet tooth as much as I have so this works perfectly. As the cake isn't cloyingly sweet it makes it a lot lighter to eat. When the weather starts getting cold (like today it was first morning I've seen the cars iced up and the garden covered in frost) there's nothing more satisfying than sitting inside your house in the warmth with a slice of cake and a cup of tea. 

This recipe makes quite a lot of ginger cake. Feel free to scale it down but to be honest- just make the full whack. You'll thank me later.

SUPER DUPER GINGER CAKE

Recipe adapted from Ruth Clemens at The Pink Whisk. View the original recipe here.
Yields 2 cake loaves

Homemade Ginger Syrup

400ml ginger juice (grated and squeezed from approx. 800g fresh stem ginger.)
400g dark brown sugar

1. Place ingredients in a saucepan and set pan over medium heat and bring the liquid to a boil.
2. Turn heat down and simmer until liquid has reduced by approximately half, and has started to thicken.
3. Pour into a heatproof container to cool (I use an old jam jar)

Cake

200g homemade ginger syrup*
110g black treacle
110g golden syrup
180g butter
500g plain flour
110g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp freshly grated stem ginger
2 pieces stem ginger in syrup, finely chopped (I put mine through the garlic press- easy!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
400ml boiling water

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Line 2 2lb loaf tins (tip: if you don't have enough loaf tins- in the past I have used 3 large aluminium takeaway containers and lined them as normal with baking parchment)
3. Sift all your dry ingredients, minus the stem ginger in syrup and fresh ginger, into the bowl of your stand mixer (or a regular bowl if you're doing this by hand) and set aside. 
4. Cut the butter into small (1cm ish) cubes and add to the bowl of dry ingredients.
5. Measure out your wet (and super sticky!) ingredients into another bowl.
6. Pour your boiling water into your treacle/ syrup mixture and leave for a minute, gently stirring and allowing the heat to soften the syrup.
7. Pour the warm syrup mixture into the dry ingredients and mix (either using your stand mixer or hand whisk) on low until starting to incorporate (careful: this will be splashy!) and then turn up to medium and mix until batter is smooth and lump free. Stir in the fresh grated stem ginger and the syrup stem ginger.
8. Divide the mixture evenly among your prepared cake pans and bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
9. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool throughly. Store in an air tight container.

Notes:
*You may prefer to not make your own ginger syrup. Replace with 100g golden syrup and 100g black treacle instead. The ginger flavour may not as pronounced but you could increase the amount of ground ginger and grated stem ginger to compensate.

• The ginger syrup can be made in advance and refrigerated for at least a week before using.
• Although this recipe yields quite a lot, this cake freezes very well so can be frozen for consuming at a later date.
• Don't worry if you don't get exactly 200ml ginger syrup. Top up with either golden syrup or treacle.