Ingredients:
5 pieces preserved stem ginger in syrup, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger syrup (from jar of stem ginger in syrup)
1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger
1 heaped teaspoon grated fresh root ginger
175g / 6oz butter
175g / 6oz golden caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon molasses syrup (treacle)
225g / 8oz self-raising flour
1 tablespoon ground almonds
2 tablespoons milk
For lemon topping:
Juice of 1 lemon
225g / 8oz unrefined golden icing sugar
2 extra pieces preserved stem ginger in syrup
Method:
Lightly grease a non-stick cake time (15×25.5cm / 6x10ins) and line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 170 C / 325 F / Gas Mark 3.
Take a large mixing bowl and cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Next break the eggs into a jug and beat them with a fork until fluffy, then gradually beat them into the mixture, now fold in the ginger syrup and molasses (treacle).
Then sift the flour and ground ginger onto a plate, then gradually fold these into the mixture. Next fold in the almonds followed by the milk then add the root ginger and pieces of stem ginger.
Spread the mixture evenly in the cake tin, then bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake is risen, springy and firm to touch in the centre.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and make sure it is absolutely cold before icing.
For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix with enough lemon juice to make the consistency of thick cream – you might not need all the lemon juice. Now spread the icing over the top of the cake – don’t worry if it dribbles over the edges. Cut the remaining ginger into 15 chunks and place those in lines across the cake so that when you cut it you will have 15 squares each with a piece of ginger in the centre.