Triple Ginger Loaf Food

TRIPLE GINGER & SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Butter and line a 23cm square baking tin (or use a shallow roasting tin, approx 30 x 20cm). Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Put the butter, sugar and treacle into a saucepan and heat gently for about 5 mins until the butter and sugar have melted. Stir in the milk. The mix should be just warm to the touch; if not, leave to cool a little longer, then beat in the eggs.
• Mix the chopped ginger and dry ingredients together in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the melted mix into the well, then gradually draw the dry ingredients into the wet with a wooden spoon, until you have a thick, smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin, then bake for 1 hr until risen and firm to the touch. Resist taking a peek beforehand; the cake will sink if the oven temperature drops too quickly before it's cooked through. Poke a skewer into the centre to check that it's cooked - it should come out clean. If not, give it 10 mins more and check again. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. Once completely cool, turn out of the tin ready for icing, or wrap well in cling film and keep in a cool, dry place for up to a week.
• To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the gingery syrup. Beat well until you have a smooth, runny icing. Once the cake has cooled, drizzle with icing and cut into squares. If you're planning to let the cake mature for a while, make the icing on the day you want to cut it.

TRIPLE-GINGER LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat over to 350 F. Grease and flour 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. Sift first 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Mix in 3 tablespoons crystalized ginger. Beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in fresh ginger. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Transfer to prepared pan. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons crystalized ginger over batter. Press ginger lightly into batter. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover, store at room temperature.

TRIPLE-GINGER POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Sift flour, ground ginger, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and milk alternately into batter. Fold in crystallized ginger and grated ginger. Divide batter between prepared loaf pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely. (Can be prepared up to 1 month ahead. Double-wrap cakes with plastic; freeze.)

TRIPLE-GINGER MUFFINS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, butter, eggs, milk, molasses and grated ginger, and whisk until smooth.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. (Be careful not to overmix! The batter will be slightly lumpy.) Stir in 3/4 cup crystallized ginger, reserving the remaining 3 tablespoons for the topping.
• Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the reserved crystallized ginger onto the tops of the muffins, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the muffins spring back when lightly pressed. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer muffins to a cooling rack and cool completely.