The rich flavour of gingerbread is so inviting, and the combined aromas of the spices used in this cake make it a wonderful treat any time of year. I’ve included it in this chapter because I think serving it warmed with a rich caramel sauce makes the perfect winter dessert. This recipe makes one large loaf or two small ones or a 22cm round cake.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 225g butter
- 11/3 cups golden syrup
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 250ml milk
Caramel Sauce
- 120g salted butter
- 170g brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons double cream
- Salted Caramel Shards
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon sea salt flakes
Serves 8-10
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Grease your preferred tin(s).
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder and add the brown sugar and spices.
In a small saucepan, heat the butter and golden syrup over a low heat until melted, then add to the dry ingredients. Whisk in the eggs and milk; the mixture will be runny, that’s okay. Pour into the prepared tin(s) and bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
For the sauce, gently melt the butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer. Keep stirring, increase the heat to bring to a boil until the sauce is thick and luscious. Remove from the heat.
To make the shards, place the sugar and ¼ cup of water in a saucepan over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. Turn up the heat and swirl the pan until the contents turn a light golden colour, about 4 minutes. Pour onto a tinfoil-lined tray and sprinkle with the salt. Set aside to cool, then break into shards when completely cool and hard.
Serve with a good drizzle of the sauce and decorated with the shards.
Saffron Swirls & Cardamom Dust by Ashia Ismail-Singer
RRP$49.99, Bateman Books
