Iced Ginger Cake Food

ICED GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150°C/ 130°C fan/ gas mark 2/ 300°F
• Line the tin with a baking parchment loaf tin liner
• Melt the butter, treacle and golden syrup in a large saucepan over a MEDIUM LOW heat. Add the milk and allow the mixture to cool
• Beat the eggs and add to the cooled mixtureBasically, you want the mixture cool enough not to cook the eggs
• Sieve the dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, bicarb, spice, ginger) and mix in a large mixing bowlYou may not need to sieve the flour, but the spices, bicarb and sugar sometimes clump
• Add the liquid mixture gradually to the dry ingredients stirring well, but not too vigorously
• Pour the mixture into the lined baking tin
• Cook for 1 hour 15 minutes
• Check the cake is done by pushing a cocktail stick into the middle. If it isn't sticky the cake is done. If not, cook for another 10-15 minutes
• Allow the cake to cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes
• Move the cake to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Mix the icing sugar with 30-45ml hot water from the kettle. Start with 2 tablespoons (30ml) and see if you need any extraThe consistency will be thick but as you put it on the cake it will spread slowly without needing a knife
• Spoon the icing over the cake
• Cut the crystallised ginger into slices and place on the cake.

STICKY STEM GINGER CAKE WITH LEMON ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4. Butter and line an 18cm round, 7cm deep cake tin with greaseproof or parchment paper.
• Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and all the spices into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Put the sugar, treacle, syrup and milk in a medium saucepan and heat, gently stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to just below boiling point.
• Add the stem ginger to the flour mixture, then pour in the treacle mixture, stirring as you go with a wooden spoon. Break in the egg and beat until all the mixture is combined and it resembles a thick pancake batter. Pour this into prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes-1 hour, until a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake comes out fairly clean. Leave to cool completely in tin before turning cake out. (To freeze: wrap in greaseproof paper, then in cling film. Freeze for up to 1 month.)
• To make the icing, mix together icing sugar and lemon zest, then gradually add lemon juice until you have a smooth, slightly runny icing, adding more juice, if needed. Drizzle icing in a zig-zag pattern over surface of cake, turn cake around and drizzle again to create the cross-hatched finish (see below). Cake keeps for up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container.

BEST EVER EASY GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Lightly grease a 25cm square (10 inch) cake tin and line it with baking (silicone) paper.
• (Try to use the correct size tin or the cake may crack.) Set the oven to moderate 180° C (350° F).
• Sift all of the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
• Combine butter pieces, golden syrup and treacle in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted.
• (This step can also be done in the microwave.) Add water to syrup mixture.
• Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the syrup mixture and the eggs.
• Mix until well combined.
• Don’t be concerned that the mixture is quite liquid at this stage.
• Pour cake mixture into prepared tin.
• Tap tin lightly on bench to dispel air bubbles.
• Place on centre shelf of 180° C (350° F) oven for 35-40 minutes.
• Check towards the end of the baking time to ensure the edges are not burning.
• The cake should be dark but must not be blackened at the edges.
• (If you do burn the edges, cut them off and ice over the edges and no-one will notice!).
• When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Then, carefully invert it onto a rack or bread board to cool.
• Icing the Cake: Sift the icing sugar into a small mixing bowl.
• In a separate small mixing bowl, beat the butter (or margarine) until smooth.
• Gradually add the sifted icing sugar, beating between additions until the sugar is completely mixed with the butter.
• Add the lemon juice and beat well until the mixture reaches an easily spreadable consistency.
• Spread icing over the top of the cake and (optional) decorate with pieces of crystallised ginger.

GINGERSNAP COCONUT ICEBOX CAKE

Steps:

• Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment to overhang the edges and set aside. Carefully remove the coconut milk cans from the refrigerator so the fat and liquid remain separated. Spoon the hardened coconut cream from the can and place in a large bowl (save the liquid for another use, such as smoothies).
• Beat the coconut cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy and medium peaks form. Reduce the speed to low and add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, ground ginger, zest of 1/2 lime and salt and beat until just combined. Gently fold in the crystalized ginger with a rubber spatula.
• Place 8 of the Gingersnap Cookies in an even layer on the bottom of the prepared loaf pan (they may overlap just slightly and that is okay). Spread a heaping 1/2 cup of the coconut cream mixture on top, then repeat the process 4 more times, ending with the remaining coconut cream on top. Garnish with the zest from the other lime half, the toasted coconut and sprinkles (if using).
• Cover and refrigerate until the cookies are completely softened, 6 hours and up to overnight.
• Stir together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, allspice, baking soda, cloves and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed until light, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and add the egg and molasses. Beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the dough comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl.
• Divide the dough into 2 portions. Lay out a piece of plastic wrap about 16 inches long. Form one portion of the dough into a log and place at one end of the plastic. Roll the plastic around the dough and roll with your hands to make a log about 8 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Twist the ends to seal well. Repeat with the remaining dough. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours. (You can also freeze the dough, using directly from the freezer.)
• To bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the top and bottom thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove the plastic from a dough log and cut 1/4-inch-thick rounds (a serrated knife works well), placing them about an inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake, rotating the sheets from top to bottom halfway through, until the cookies are crisp and golden on the bottoms and edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.

ICED GINGER SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a 20cm square baking tray. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift in the flour and ginger, then mix together with a knife. Using lightly floured hands, bring the mixture together to form a dough, then spread it into the greased baking tray. Bake for 30 mins until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.
• For the icing, melt the butter and syrup in a pan. Remove from the heat, sift in the icing sugar and ginger, then mix until smooth and glossy. Cool until almost cold and beat well again. Spread the icing over the shortcake using a palette knife, decorate with chopped crystallised ginger and serve cut into slices.