Best Ever Easy Ginger Cake

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300g/11oz)
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 125 g butter, chopped
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 cup golden syrup (225g/8 oz)
• 1 cup black treacle (225g/8 oz)
• 2 cups icing sugar (confectioner’s)
• 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped roughly (optional)

Recipe

• 1 lightly grease a 25cm square (10 inch) cake tin and line it with baking (silicone) paper.
• 2 (try to use the correct size tin or the cake may crack.) set the oven to moderate 180° c (350° f).
• 3 sift all of the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
• 4 combine butter pieces, golden syrup and treacle in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted.
• 5 (this step can also be done in the microwave.) add water to syrup mixture.
• 6 make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the syrup mixture and the eggs.
• 7 mix until well combined.
• 8 don’t be concerned that the mixture is quite liquid at this stage.
• 9 pour cake mixture into prepared tin.
• 10 tap tin lightly on bench to dispel air bubbles.
• 11 place on centre shelf of 180° c (350° f) oven for 35-40 minutes.
• 12 check towards the end of the baking time to ensure the edges are not burning.
• 13 the cake should be dark but must not be blackened at the edges.
• 14 (if you do burn the edges, cut them off and ice over the edges and no-one will notice!).
• 15 when the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• 16 then, carefully invert it onto a rack or bread board to cool.
• 17 icing the cake: sift the icing sugar into a small mixing bowl.
• 18 in a separate small mixing bowl, beat the butter (or margarine) until smooth.
• 19 gradually add the sifted icing sugar, beating between additions until the sugar is completely mixed with the butter.
• 20 add the lemon juice and beat well until the mixture reaches an easily spreadable consistency.
• 21 spread icing over the top of the cake and (optional) decorate with pieces of crystallised ginger.