Ginger [Almost Sticky Toffee Pudding] Cake

 

I love ginger in all its forms. 

As with all ginger cakes, this one is better the day after you've baked it, as its flavours can then  develop. This version has dates in it, hence the title I've chosen!

So you need: 

75g unsalted butter

100g dark muscovado sugar
125g black treacle
125g golden syrup
2 eggs
225g self raising flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
50g stem ginger, finely chopped
75g dates pitted and finely chopped

For the icing:
100g icing sugar
1 tbspn stem ginger syrup (from the jar of stem ginger)

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4                Line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment or a liner

Put the butter, sugar, treacle and syrup in a pan and melt together over a gentle heat.

Cool for about 5 mins before beating in the eggs.

Fold in the flour and the ground ginger, then stir in the dates and chopped ginger.

Spoon into the tin and bake for about 50 mins.

Cool in the tin for 10 mins then turn out onto a wire rack.

Icing : Mix the icing sugar with the syrup, adding slightly more syrup if you think it needs it. You want it to be thickish, but not so thick that it can't run over the sides.

You can really taste the flavours of the various ingredients. It has a lovely soft texture and is just the thing to have with a cuppa. If you want, you can eat it as a dessert, so leave off the icing and add custard or cream.