Ginger Cake

Pear, Ginger and Caramel Toffee Cake...

Ginger Cake

The title of this recipe almost says it all until you taste the final product, then all sorts of descriptive words come into play... It is a wonderful afternoon tea cake that can be served cold or warm with or without cream and the ginger matures delightfully.

• Grease and glad bake line a large cake tin whilst preheating a 160 oven... peel core thinly slice and decorate the bottom of this pan with a couple of pears.
• In a small pan melt together 100 grams of butter and 150 grams of brown sugar to form a caramel sauce and pour this all over the pear covered base.
• With an electric beater cream together 150 grams of butter and 175 grams of brown sugar until light and fluffy... add to this 4 eggs, one at a time incorporating each one completely.
• Next add 250 grams of golden syrup and 1 heaped tablespoon of freshly grated ginger while continuing to beat the mixture.
• Sift together in a separate bowl 300 grams of plain flour, 3 teaspoons of ginger powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons of bi-carb soda.
• Finally starting with sifted flour mix and ending with sifted flour mix ... alternatively add 250 grams of sour cream and the flour mix until all ingredients are incorporated into a batter.
• Pour batter onto the toffee and pear base which will become the top of the cake... loosely cover the tin with a piece of glad bake and al-foil and bake for about one and a half hours until a wooden skewer comes out clean... turn out up side down onto a cooling tray and if you can wait serve cold with a sprinkle of icing sugar or maybe some cream although my favourite is warm straight from the oven with nothing added... it truly is a stand alone cake.

The caramelised pear now becomes the decadent top layer and the edges take on a wonderful toffee texture while the moist ginger sponge centre is melt in the mouth when warm.

Enjoy this experience it is truly a magical one...