Iced Ginger Cake (courtesy of Mary Berry)

                                                                Iced Ginger Cake 

I always bake several of these gorgeous cakes towards the end of October each year... It's funny how ginger & treacle seem to be the flavours I remember most of all around Halloween & especially Bonfire night here in the UK.  This cake has all those treacly warming flavours that go so well with cold, damp dark nights that we all enjoy before the onset of winter.  

I baked mine in my 8inch ring mould but the recipe can also be made in an 18cm /7in  deep square cake tin greased & lined

I used Wilton cake release from Lakeland in my unlined mould .

Set the oven at 160c/325f gas 3

If you prefer to measure your ingredients here's a handy Conversion Chart

THE CAKE

4oz/ 100g margarine (I used stork)

4oz /100g light muscovado sugar (Brown Sugar)

2 eggs

5 oz /150g Black Treacle Or Molasses

5oz/ 150g Golden Syrup or Corn Syrup

8oz/ 225g plain flour (All purpose)

1 heaped tsp ground ginger

1tsp mixed spice (Pumpkin Spice)

half tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tbsp milk

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TO DECORATE
6oz  175g icing sugar (Confectioners Sugar)

2 tbsp stem ginger syrup * see below

3-4 tsp water ( to mix to a smooth but thickish glaze)

either 1x1 in piece stem ginger chopped finely & mixed into the icing

or sliced as I have with a few added halved cherries

* if you aren't using jarred stem ginger then just add 2 tbsp of corn syrup mixed with a little ginger powder

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METHOD

Whisk the margarine/butter, sugar, treacle, syrup and eggs together until really well combined

Fold in the sifted flour & spices.

Add the bicarb to the milk mix then add to the batter and stir in.

Pour into your chosen tin.

Bake for 1 hour @ 160c and then turn down to 150c/300F/Gas 2 for a further 15 to 30 mins until firm to the touch.

Cool in the tin for around 10-15 minutes

Turn out & cool completely before icing

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Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the ginger syrup and water, Mix till smooth.

Either add the chopped ginger now and pour over the cooled cake or drizzle down the sides of the ring cake and decorate as I have done.

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