GLUTEN-FREE GINGER CAKE
Based on a recipe by Neil Perry, I’ve adapted this moist ginger cake to be gluten-free and included some different spices to add complexity to the flavour.
It’s a very satisfying cake, and versatile. I suggest serving it with a topping of cream and some tiny pieces of crystallised ginger, but split in half and filled and topped with your favourite butter cream it becomes a special occasion dessert, or serve it plain for afternoon tea with whipped cream on the side, or omit the cream topping in the recipe for a dairy-free treat.
Already it’s on the ‘Can I have the recipe?’ list. So here it is.
Caren
GINGER CAKE
Serves 10-12
100 gm piece/s peeled, fresh ginger
1 cup water
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
320 gm golden syrup (approximately 1 cup)
160 gm caster sugar
180 ml light olive oil
260 gm Revenge No. 2 Gluten-Free Plain Almond Flour Mix
½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 large pinch ground white pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
TOPPING
300 ml cream
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1 tablespoon of finely cubed crystallised ginger, or more to taste
Preheat oven to 170°C. Lightly brush a 22cm cake tin with oil and fully line with baking paper.
Roughly chop the ginger into small pieces and place in a food processor with half the water. Process until the ginger is finely minced. If necessary, remove any stubborn fibres by pushing the mixture through a sieve.
In a small saucepan, combine the ginger/water mixture, the remaining water and bicarbonate of soda and bring to the boil.
(Alternatively, grate the whole ginger piece/s on a fine microplane then add it to the water and bicarbonate of soda in the saucepan.)
Combine the golden syrup, sugar and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix well. It will separate slightly and that is okay.
In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and spices.
Pour the ginger mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in the flour mixture, and then the eggs one at a time. Do not over mix. The mixture is very runny at this stage.
Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven to a rack to cool for 30 minutes. Turn out of the tin to cool completely before finishing with cream topping.
Whip the cream with the vanilla paste then use a small pallet knife to coat the top and sides of the cake. Scatter over the cubes of ginger.
Another option is to leave the cake plain with just a dusting of icing sugar.
TIPS:
Without its cream topping the dairy–free cake will keep well in the pantry in an airtight container. If topped with cream, store in an airtight container in the fridge, but take it out of the fridge about half an hour before serving.