Ginger and Honey Cake

Not only is this cake quick to make, it is unusual too. Sweet sticky ginger cake with a hint of coffee – just dripping with honey.

Serves 16; Prep: 10 mins; Cook: 35 mins; Calories per square: 198

Ingredients:
225g (8oz) plain flour; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 125g (4oz) butter; 175g (6oz) dark brown sugar; 125g (4oz) treacle; 50g (2oz) honey plus 3 tbsp to decorate; 4cm (1 1/2in) fresh root ginger, grated and chopped finely; 100ml (4 fl oz) strong black coffee; 2 eggs beaten; 50g (2oz crystalised stem ginger

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180^oC (350^oF) Mark 4. Grease and line a deep square 20.5cm (8inch) cake tin. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground cinnamon into a mixing bowl.
Put the butter, sugar, treacle and 50g (2 oz) of the honey into a pan and heat gently until melted. Cool for 2 minutes. Put into a bowl and stir in the ginger, coffee and eggs. Add the dry ingredients and beat well. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 35 minutes. Cool in the tin.
Remove the cake from the tin and cut into 16 squares. Top each with slices of crystalised stem ginger and drizzle with a little honey. It improves with keeping.

TIP: If you prefer, drizzle a little of the syrup from the jar of the crystallised stem ginger over the top of the cake instead of the honey. Or for something completely different, top with melted chocolate and a sprinkling of coffee beans.

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Apricot and Almond Tea Loaf

Makes: 16 slices; Prep: 15 mins; Cook: 1 ¼ hours; Cals per slice: 254

Ingredients:
225g (8oz) ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped; 75g (3oz) almonds, chopped; 250g (9oz) plain flour; pinch of salt; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 90g (3 ½ oz) butter; 200g (7oz) caster sugar; 2 large eggs, lightly beaten; finely grated rind of 1 orange; ½ tsp orange flower water; 100ml (4 fl oz) milk. Syrup: juice of 1 orange; 4 tbsp granulated sugar

Method:

Mix apricots, almonds and 45ml (3 tbsp) flour. Sieve remaining flour with salt and bicarbonate of soda.
Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, orange rind and orange flower water.
Gently fold in alternating spoonfuls of flour, milk and apricot mixture until evenly mixed. Spoon into a greased and lined 1 kg (2lb) loaf tin. Bake for 1 ¼ hours.
For syrup, gently heat juice and sugar until sugar dissolves. Boil for 2 minutes. Pierce cake in several places with a fine skewer and spoon over hot syrup. Leave to cool in tin.

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Coffee and Walnut Cake

Makes: 12 slices; Cals per slice: 365

Ingredients:
225g (8oz) self-raising flour;
5ml (1 tsp) baking powder
225g (8oz) caster sugar
225g (8oz) soft margarine or butter
30ml (2 tbsp) coffee essence or strong black coffee

Icing:
175g (6oz) unsalted butter
350g (12oz) icing sugar
30ml (2 tbsp) coffee essence or strong black coffee

Walnut halves to decorate

Method:

Sift 225g (8oz) self-raising flour and 5ml (1 tsp) baking powder into a large bowl. Add 225g (8oz) each caster sugar and soft margarine or butter, and 30ml (2 tbsp) coffee essence or strong black coffee.
Beat with an electric whisk until mixture is pale and creamy. Divide between 2 20cm (8 in) round, greased and base lined cake tins. Level surfaces with a palette knife.
Bake in a preheated oven at 190^oC, 375^oF, Gas 5 for 25-30 mins until risen, golden and firm to the touch. Leave in the tins for 5 mins, then turn out on to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
To make the icing, place 175g (6oz) unsalted butter in a bowl and beat until soft. Gradually beat in 350g (12oz) icing sugar and 30ml (2 tbsp) coffee essence or strong black coffee until smooth.
Sandwich the two cakes together with a quarter of the icing and spread the remainder over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with walnut halves.

Tip: To freeze cake in slices, place greaseproof paper between each slice, then wrap whole cake in foil or place in a freezer-proof container. Each slice will take about 40 mins to defrost.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Cakes & Baking recipes . A recipe card is available for download here.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Serves: 12; Prep: 20 mins; Cook: 80 mins; Cals per serving: 452

Ingredients:
225g (8oz) butter, softened; 225g (8oz) caster sugar; finely grated rind of 2 lemons; 4 eggs, size 3, beaten; 225g (8oz) ground almonds; 200g (7oz) semolina; 150g (5oz) self raising flour; 10ml (2 tsp) baking powder; 5ml (1 tsp) almond flavouring; juice of 2 lemons; juice of 1 orange

Syrup:
1 lemon; 2 oranges; 75g (3oz) caster sugar; 2 cinnamon sticks

Lemon Curd Icing:
90ml (6 tbsp) lemon curd; 30ml (2 tbsp) icing sugar, sieved

Method:

- - Beat together butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs. Fold in almonds, semolina, flour and baking powder. Stir in almond flavouring and fruit juices to form a smooth firm consistency. Pour into a greased and lined 21cm / 8 ½ in round tin. Bake at Mark 4 / 180^oC / 350^oF for 80 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  - To make the lemon syrup, use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of orange and lemon zest and put them into a pan. Squeeze the lemon and the orange and add the juice with the caster sugar and the cinnamon sticks to the zest in the pan. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring gently, then simmer for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and keep to one side.
  - Pierce several holes in the cake with a skewer and drizzle over the syrup, reserving the citrus peel and the cinnamon sticks. When cooked, remove the cake from the tin and put it onto a serving plate. Gently warm the lemon curd, stir in the icing sugar, and use to drizzle over the cake just before serving. Decorate with the reserved peel and the cinnamon sticks.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Cakes & Baking recipes . A recipe card is available for download here.