Gingerbread

Gingerbread Tray Bake - MS Word Document for downloading

I am going to give you two recipes, both of which are delicious. I find it really annoying if I don’t have the size of tin suggested, so I’m trying to be helpful here. These recipes simply use different sizes of tins and slightly different quantities and ingredients. Successful cake making depends on accurate measuring of ingredients, as well as using sizes of tins suggested, with careful timing at the correct temperature.

During baking, the gingerbread mixture will rise in the middle and then sink. If you don’t want people to see that part, cut it out before serving and freeze it. I’ll give you a pudding recipe shortly which will make excellent use of this lovely slightly gooey part.

The first is the Gingerbread Tray Bake we made at school on Thursday for Presentation Evening. So many people commented on how delicious it was and asked for the recipe, urgently, to make over half- term! (I hadn’t planned to introduce cakes just yet, so didn’t photograph them!) Gingerbreads are usually best stored for a day or two before eating. This one can be eaten straight away. It can be served with or without icing and is perfect for a packed lunch. This recipe is from “Mary Berry’s Ultimate Cake Book”.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes to 55 minutes

You will need a baking tin: 12″x 9″ (30 x 23 cm)

Ingredients and Shopping List.

• 10oz (275g) golden syrup
• 10oz (275g) black treacle
• 8oz (225g) light muscovado sugar
• 8oz(225g) soft margarine
• 1 lb (450g) self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 4 tablespoons milk

For the icing:

• 8oz (225g) icing sugar
• about 2 tablespoons water
• 2oz (50g) crystallised or stem ginger, finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C - Gas mark 3.
2. Grease and line the tin.
3. Measure the syrup, treacle, sugar and marg into a pan.
4. Heat gently until the fat has just melted.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour and sieved spices.
6. Add the eggs and milk and beat until smooth.
7. Pour into the prepared tin.
8. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes, until well -risen and shrinking away from the sides of the
9. tin. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
10. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before turning out onto a cooling tray.

When cool, ice if required.

1. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the water, a little at a time and mix until smooth.
2. Mix in the chopped ginger, spoon over the cake and leave to set.

Alternatively, cut when cold and decorate each portion with a thin slice of crystalised ginger

Gingerbread Cake.

This cake is cooked in a 9″ x 5″ (2lb or 900g) loaf tin.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 45 -60 minutes

The flavour of this cake improves if you can keep it for a couple of days before eating. It’s a John Torode recipe, which he thinks came originally from British Rail, “in the days when it ran grand hotels and served passengers real food”. It’s dark, moist, well-spiced and not particularly sweet. He suggests it should be eaten thickly sliced, with butter or slices of cheese, such as Wensleydale or Lancashire. Once again, it’s a good choice for lunch boxes.

Ingredients and Shopping List.

• 225g (8oz) self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger (yes, tbs)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
• 110g (4oz) butter, chilled and diced
• 110g (4oz) black treacle
• 110g (4oz) golden syrup
• 110g (4oz) muscovado sugar
• 280ml (10fl oz) milk
• 1 egg, size 1, beaten

Method.

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C - Gas Mark 4.
2. Grease the tin and line the base.
3. Sift all the dry ingredients, except the sugar, into a large bowl.
4. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
5. Over gentle heat, melt the treacle and syrup. Leave to cool.
6. Meanwhile, dissolve the sugar in the milk over low heat, stirring carefully.
7. Whisk the warm milk into the flour mixture, then whisk in the treacle mixture, followed by the beaten egg. (When thoroughly combined, it should look like a thin batter).
8. Pour the mixture in the tin.
9. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
10. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then turn out and peel off the paper base.

Wrap in greaseproof paper, then foil and store for a couple of days before slicing.

I hope you enjoy them,

Liz