YOU WILL NEED:
PROJECT A:
2 and a half x cups x PLAIN FLOUR
4-5 x heaped teaspoons ground ginger
1-2 x heaped teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-2 x heaped teaspoons ground allspice
1-2 x heaped teaspoons ground cloves
half x teaspoon salt [oops i just forgot this :( so let’s see what diff is ]
1 and a half teaspoons baking power powder
PROJECT B:
1 x jar of ginger preserved in syrrop (sharwoods has nice dragon on label)
PROJECT C:
1 and a half x cups plain water
2 x cups TATE AND LYLE (OF SLAVE TRADE FAME) GOLDEN SYROP = out of thr strong comes forth SWEETNUSS etc
PROJECT D:
half x pack of unsweetened butter
1 x cup dark sugar
1 x egg
2 x teaspoons bicarb of soda
PROJECT E:
cake tin and greaseproof paper
OK here is what you do
i. PUT APRON (my jumper is all covered in flour) and OVEN on: latter at gas mark 4
ii. begin w.project B = grab ginger-in-sirop, tip out and KEEP all the sirop, cut up the ginger into v. small pieces (canonic recipes have SULTANAS here which is pffff at best): this is a STICKY TASK so clear yr table first and keep a wipey cloth on hand — dust ginger bits in flour and set on one side
iii. for projects A&D you will need TWO large mixing-type receptacles (fairly spacious and ideally NOT very heavy when empty)
iv. sieve all of FLOUR, 4xSPICES, salt and baking powder into one of em, so they mix perfectly — allow to rest
v. put sirop (inc.from ginger-in-syrop) and water on slow boil = project C
vi. mix butter and sugar until kinda crunchy yet gooey (recipe says “pale and fluffy” but this is CODE) (use an electric whisk if you like — it will gunk up inside yr whisk ends, so make sure yr fingers are CLEAN)
vii. beat egg in wee bowl and add to butter and sugar — add bicarb on top but DON’T mix in = project D
viii. prepare cake tin and greaseproof — i am not good at this and someone clever needs to show me how prizewinning cakemakers do it
ix. when project C is boiling well (= water and sirop are well mixed and very liquid and hot), add to project D, which will FIZZ UP WILDLY
ix. stir like crazy, adding all the sieved stuff and ensuring the mix is smooth — the fizziness and heat kinda give you a window of opportunity as everything is dissolving and hurtling about: BROWNIAN MOTION IS YOUR FRIEND
x. pour mix into cake tin; sprinkle chopped ginger onto top surface — if you do this SUPER CAREFULLY the ginger will NOT sink to the bottom (this is the point of the flour) — however actually most of it will
xi. into oven for c.1 x hour AT LEAST (prob.half an hour more)
xii. this is bcz the ginger at the bottom tends to shelter the very centre from heat, so when you take it out, the MIDDLE may still be gooily liquid –if liquid still apparent just put it in for 20 mins more
xiii. also it will OVERFLOW the cake tin if you use all the mixture in my experience
xiv. try not to scoff all in same day — is specially delicious w.the REST of the unsalted butter
(an LJ-FT co-production)