Ginger Cake With Clementine Frosting

Ginger Cake With Clementine Frosting

A favourite cake of mine. The cake will keep unfrosted for a day or two wrapped in foil, and 24 hours or so once iced.

Serves eight.

INGREDIENTS:

self-raising flour - 250g
ground ginger - 2 level tsp
ground cinnamon - ½ tsp
bicarbonate of soda - 1 level tsp
a pinch of salt
golden syrup - 200g
syrup from the ginger jar - 2 tbs
butter - 125g
stem ginger in syrup - 3 large lumps (about 60g)
sultanas - 4 heaped tbs
dark muscovado sugar - 125g
milk - 225ml
large eggs - 2

For the frosting:

butter - 125g
cream cheese - 300ml
icing sugar - 300g
3 clementines or other tight-skinned small citrus fruits

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

METHOD:

Set the oven at 180°C/gas 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 on 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. Leave the cake in its tin to cool then tip out onto a sheet of greaseproof paper. Wrap it up again in foil and leave to mature for a day or two before eating.

For the frosting, put the butter in the bowl of a food mixer and beat till soft. Mix in the cream cheese and then the sugar and the grated zest of two of the clementines.

Spread the mixture over the top of the cake, grating over the zest of the remaining clementine and decorate as you wish.

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