Pound Cake With Caramel Icing Apricot Ginger Sprinkles Food

GINGER CAKE WITH CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter and line a 23cm round cake tin. Put the butter, sugar, treacle and syrup in a large pan and gently heat, stirring until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 mins.
• Stir in the eggs and milk, then sift in the flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well, then pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until the cake is firm to the touch and springs back when pressed in the centre. Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack.
• Put the frosting ingredients in a small pan over a medium heat and stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Increase the heat and boil hard for 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally; at this stage the frosting should look like runny custard. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool for 30 mins. Beat with an electric whisk until thick and spreadable. Spread over the cooled cake and decorate with crystallised ginger.

CARAMEL-FROSTED POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan with shortening; lightly flour.
• In large bowl, beat 3 cups sugar and 1 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and almond extract. Alternately add flour, about 1 cup at a time, and whipping cream, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter into pan.
• Bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted halfway between side and center of pan comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In 8- or 10-inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the sugar over medium heat until amber colored, about 6 minutes, shaking pan occasionally (do not stir). Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, heat remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/2 cup butter and the milk to boiling over medium-high heat. Gradually stir in caramelized sugar with whisk; cook and stir to 232°F. Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Using offset spatula and working quickly, frost cake (frosting will harden as it cools). Let stand 30 minutes before slicing.

CARAMEL POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.
• Cream together 1cup butter or margarine, shortening, brown sugar, and 1 cup white sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Sift 2 1/2 cups of the flour and baking powder. Add alternately with milk to the creamed mixture. Stir 1/2 cup flour with the chopped pecans, then fold into the batter. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand in pan 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• To Make Frosting: In a small saucepan, beat 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, butter or margarine, and milk together. Bring to a rolling boil, and cook for one minute. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Cool, then beat until thickened. Add a little milk if it too thick. Spread on cake.

APRICOT GINGER POUND CAKE WITH RUM GLAZE (BUNDT)

Steps:

• To ensure all the ingredients are at room temperature, set them out at least 2 hours before making the batter.
• Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F
• Thoroughly grease and flour a 10-cup fleur-de-lis cake pan or standard Bundt pan.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and milk until blended; set aside.
• Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder over the butter.
• Add the eggs, vanilla and sour cream mixture. Fit the bowl on the mixer and, using the paddle attachment, beat on low speed until the mixture is creamy and smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
• Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a large spatula, gently fold the ginger and apricots into the batter.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are higher than the center.
• Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool upright in the pan for 10 minutes.
• Tap the sides of the pan and invert the cake out onto the rack. Set the rack over a sheet of waxed paper.
• To make the glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the rum, water and sugar until blended.
• Using a pastry brush, generously brush the surface of the warm cake with the glaze.
• Let the glazed cake cool completely, 1 to 2 hours, before serving.
• Serves 16.