About MissCakeBaker

I spend the week running in heels and the weekends in my apron.

Sunday 27 November 2011

Gingerbread with Lemon Glaze






I have been on holiday the last couple of weeks in South Africa, hence the lack of posts.  It was an amazing holiday whose highlight was seeing a whale do a triple jump in the wild. The South African food was pretty fantastic too which has led to sightings of a whale in the South London area since my return!  I was keen to be back to the baking for my blog but have to say it isn't the ideal diet for the latter described whale.


This gingerbread is my entry for this month's Tea Time Treats Challenge which is hosted alternatively by two fantastic bloggers - Karen at Lavender & Lovage and Kate at What Kate Baked.  This month's theme is Ginger and Bonfire Treats and it is Karen's turn to host.  You have to visit her blog just to see the wonderful gingerbread house she has made.  


I love ginger, bonfire night and all related treats.  I decided to make gingerbread as firstly I love it and haven't made it for ages and secondly as I  wanted to use my mini bundt tins. One of out two ain't bad!  The mixture just didn't work in the bundt tins as it was too crumbly so I ended up using mini loaf tins instead.  The cake itself was from a recipe I had jotted down ages ago so I'm not sure where I originally found it - probably on the internet as it's in cups. I have made some changes to the recipe which include using Wholemeal flour instead of plain and substituting stem ginger for the original ginger powder.  I love getting little bits of stem ginger when you eat a cake.  When I took it out of the oven it smelt just like Thornton's treacle toffee and tasted like Jamaican Ginger Cake (I used to love that cake especially the sticky topping). I think I read a blog the other day where someone had made a cake which reminded them of this classic cake too.  I've added a lemon icing glaze for some contrast to the ginger. 


Ummm delicious!


The Recipe


1 2/3 cups wholemeal flour
1 1/4 tspns bicarb of soda
2 stem gingers finely chopped
3/4 tspn cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup black treacle (licking of spoon after getting it out of tin obligatory)
1/2 cup rapeseed oil (I added some of the stem ginger syrup to this measurement too)
1/2 cup boiling water


1. Preheat oven to 180c.  
2. Sift the flour and bicarb into a town.  Add the spices, salt, sugar, egg and treacle. Mix together until combined.  Add the oil and boiling water and mix well together until it makes a smooth batter.
3.  Place in your choice of tin (square would probably work well) making sure you grease and flour it. Bake for about 30 mins until springy.
4. To make the icing mix together icing sugar and lemon juice so you have a thickish icing consistency. Drizzle over the cake while still warm.

15 comments:

  1. THANKS so much for this fabulous and VERY festive entry ~ love the glaze and wee silver balls in the ginger cake. South Africa, ah, land of my birth ~ I am British was born in Wynberg near Capetown as my dad was in the Royal Navy.....a wonderful part of SA.
    Many thanks for entering into the Tea Time Treats fun!
    Karen

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  2. Mmm lemon and ginger. Lovely combo and the cake looks so pretty too!

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  3. How divine do those sticky little ginger loaves look? Very! Love the drizzly icing and the bling balls too!

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  4. A lovely tea time treat entry. Love the decorations and the lemon icing is a great contrast to the ginger. Glad you had a great holiday - I would love to visit SA one day.

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  5. I can't resist a slice of ginger cake, especially one that tastes of Jamaican Ginger Cake- now that brings back many a childhood memory of delving into the sticky goodness. Hope you had a great trip! Thank you very much for your entry!

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  6. This look amazing and I love this recipé, I love Tea Time(lol) gloria

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  7. Lemon and ginger is a great combo. Your cake looks so festive.

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  8. Wow, that is the fanciest ginger bread loaf I've ever seen! She looks like she's ready to party! Love it! I really love lemon glaze too!

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  9. Sounds like a great trip!

    Also, this cake looks lovely and very festive! Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Lovely cake, the dripping glaze and sparkly silver balls make it very festive.

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  11. Thanks for the comments. @Karen I was in the Cape Town area - loved it.

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  12. Beautiful, beautiful cake - I'm afraid I'd scoff the whole thing!!

    I'm with you on the pieces of ginger - yummm!

    Delighted you had a wonderful holiday.

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  13. I love gingerbread in all its forms and these look fabulous! I like the decoration too - very cute!

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  14. delicious looking flavours lovely glaze

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