Gingerbread cake with salted caramel and clotted cream
Curl up on the sofa with a cuppa and this gingerbread cake drizzled with a salted caramel sauce. The perfect treat for cosy nights in.
Ingredients
For the gingerbread cake
- 140g/5oz self-raising flour
- pinch sea salt flakes
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú golden syrup
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú dark brown soft sugar
- 70²µ/2½´Ç³ú butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 free-range egg
- 40²µ/1½´Ç³ú stem ginger, puréed or very finely chopped
- 6 tbsp full-fat milk
For the salted caramel
- 120²µ/4½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 120²µ/4½´Ç³ú cream
- 20²µ/½´Ç³ú butter
To serve
- clotted cream
- homemade pickled pear (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½. Grease a 18cm/7in square cake tin. Dampen a piece of baking parchment, scrunch it up until flexible and line the tin.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt then set aside.
Put the syrup, sugar and butter into a heatproof bowl. Bring a pan of water to a simmer and place the bowl on top. Heat until incorporated, stirring continuously.
Meanwhile, in a jug, beat together the egg, ginger and milk. Remove the syrup mixture from the heat and gently whisk in the milk mixture until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl containing the flour and fold together. Once evenly combined, pour the batter into the cake tin and sprinkle with more salt.
Bake for 20–25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and the top bounces back when pressed. Leave to cool in the tin.
For the salted caramel, put a high-sided saucepan over a medium heat. Add the sugar and 20ml/½fl oz of water and heat for 5–7 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally until a dark caramel forms. Do not stir and take care: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Immediately add the butter, swirling it into the caramel. Slowly stir in the cream until incorporated. Add a pinch of salt.
Cut the cake into four and drizzle with the salted caramel. Serve with a large spoonful of clotted cream, and pickled pears if using.
