I know my brother in law was running a half marathon today – I thought I would do the complete opposite and make a cake!!!! I am desperate to get in the autumn spirit but it’s just a bit warm. This cake is an nod to darker, colder days ahead. I don’t know why ginger and chocolate make me feel cosy but they do! What a great pair, working together beautifully. I guess it’s the nod to German Lebkuchen at Christmas time. Give the recipe a go, it looks fancy but is so simple and has a subtle ginger, chocolate, flavour with a hint of salt Yet it remains light and fluffy!
Ingredients
200g butter room temp
2 teaspoon ground ginger
100g dark choc chips
1/2 teaspoon salt
60g cocoa powder
4 tablespoons buttermilk
175g self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
250g dark sugar
5 cubes of finely cut crystallised ginger
Preheat oven to 160 degrees centigrade
This is an all in one cake so bung all ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Mix well until a batter is formed
Line and grease 2 x 20 inch cake tins.
Put half the mixture in each
Place in the oven for 25 mins until a skewer comes out clean
Leave to cool
For the icing
300g butter room temp
600g icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 salt
Make the buttercream by putting in a mixer for around 6 mins until pale and fluffy.
For the ganache
50g dark choc
50g double cream
Heat the cream and add the choc – stir until it’s melted.
Sandwich the cake with the buttercream and spread all over cake.
Flick the ganache Over and Decorate with crystallised ginger
