Monday 26 January 2009

Nigel Slater's Ginger Cake

I don't think there is any cake as suited to winter as ginger cake, a slice of this dark, sticky, spicy cake is just what I want when it's cold and dark outside. Ginger cake is quite an old fashioned cake, the kind your Grandma might make. It doesn't look much, in fact it looks positively dull but looks can be deceiving, just wait until you taste it!This version by Nigel Slater contains both ground and stem ginger so it has a real spicy kick to it, the Golden Syrup is what makes this cake so sticky and delicious. What I really like about it is that it only gets better over time, it's hard to resist taking a slice right away but if you can I would recommend that you leave it at least one day in an airtight tin before cutting in to it.I would like to try this recipe again substituting the golden syrup for treacle/molasses to make an even darker cake, lemon zest would make a great addition too.

Recipe (Original here)

250g self-raising flour
2 level tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
a pinch of salt
200g golden syrup
2 tbsp syrup from the ginger jar
125g butter
3 lumps of stem ginger in syrup (about 55g)
2 heaped tbsp sultanas
125g dark muscavado sugar
2 large eggs
240ml milk

You will need a square cake tin measuring approximately 20-22cm, lined on the bottom with baking or greaseproof paper.

Set the oven at 180°C/gas mark 3. Sieve the flour with the ginger, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and the salt. Put the golden and ginger syrups and the butter into a small saucepan, and warm over a low heat. Dice the ginger finely then add it to the pan with the sultanas and sugar. Let the mixture bubble gently for a minute, giving it the occasional stir to stop the fruit sticking to the bottom.

Break the eggs into a bowl, pour in the milk and beat gently to break up the egg and mix it into the milk. Remove the butter and sugar mixture from the heat and pour into the flour, stirring smoothly and firmly with a large metal spoon. Mix in the milk and eggs. The mixture should be sloppy, with no trace of flour.

Scoop the mixture into the non-stick or lined cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer, inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean. Unless you are serving it warm, leave the cake in its tin to cool, then tip out on to a sheet of greaseproof paper. Wrap it up again in foil and leave to mature for a day or two before eating.

24 comments:

Andrea said...

I LOVE ginger cake, and I recently found golden syrup (not very common in the US) and bought two bottles. Now I need to figure out how to use it! This might just do it!

Anne said...

I am now kicking myself for giving my mum the sultanas over the weekend I hadn't got round to using - I love ginger cake and will now promptly steal them back off her ;-)

Joie de vivre said...

Oh wow. Golden syrup is not very popular here in the States but I've seen a small can on the top shelf of my grocery store. I didn't buy it because I didn't know what to do with it (perhaps you can post about that? I see Andrea is trying to figure out what to do with it too) Now I have one use, your gorgeous cake!

Maggie said...

I love ginger cake and Nigel's recipe is superb. I bet you didn't leave any!

Beth (jamandcream) said...

I love Ginger cake and have for as long as I can remember. Haven't tried Nigel Slaters recipe before though

Karen said...

Looks moist and delicious. What is golden syrup - is it like maple syrup?

Katie said...

This looks yummy, ginger is so warming and comforting in the winter.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Oh yum Sam! That looks so good! Isn't funny how such a basic ingredient to us like golden syrup is foxing the Americans?

Alicia Foodycat said...

http://www.foodsubs.com/Syrups.html this is a good site for substitutes and ironing out confusion.

Anonymous said...

I, like the other Americans, am unfamiliar with golden syrup. I think it looks and tastes similar to dark corn syrup. I tried "cooked" golden syrup for the first time in a treacle tart - another unfamiliarity to us Americans. Basically it tasted very much like the gooey part to a pecan pie. In any case its sweet and delicious just like this ginger cake must be! I'd love to smear some cream cheese frosting on this cake.

Pam said...

We think alike! I love ginger cake - yours looks and sounds wonderful.

The Caked Crusader said...

This is my kind of cake - I love the way the ginger and the golden syrup settle down after a day or so and make the cake extra sticky.
Beautiful!

pigpigscorner said...

Looks really moist! "Spicy" cakes are always better after a day or 2.

Anonymous said...

Looks like we're on the same wavelength!

Gemma said...

Oh yum Sam, that looks great but, as we have already said, you can rely on Nigel.

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

Great cake, I love to cover Ginger cake with a thick layer of cream cheese icing.

Katie said...

It looks wonderful and the perfect wintery cake. All dark, spicy and sticky. I want to reach in and take a slice :)

Abitofafoodie said...

Ginger cake is THE BEST. It really is my favourite. I make mine with treacle and then drizzle with lemon icing but I really like the look of this recipe with the inclusion of stem ginger. Any slices left for me?!

Nic said...

I love ginger! Great looking cake Sam.

Anonymous said...

That syrup sounds like the secret ingredient in this tasty cake--it looks tasty :).

jane said...

this looks absolutely yummy, thank you, from one cycling cook to another. Just stumbled across your blog on the - successful!- hunt for ginger cake, hope you might post again soon!

jane said...

this looks absolutely yummy, thank you, from one cycling cook to another. Just stumbled across your blog on the - successful!- hunt for ginger cake, hope you might post again soon!

jane said...

this looks absolutely yummy, thank you, from one cycling cook to another. Just stumbled across your blog on the - successful!- hunt for ginger cake, hope you might post again soon!

Sam said...

Thanks Jane! I hope to get back into posting again sometime...