Soft Soul-warming Ginger Cake

It is wild and windy outside with horizontal rain. It feels more like November than March - can you believe it's nearly Easter?! I was in need of something soul-warming, and body-warming, and this ginger cake did the trick. And I love it twice as much because it's a one pot cake - there's something very satisfying about having minimal washing up after baking!

It's really soft and springy and light as a feather, surprising for so little raising agent. It's quite different to  my  more sticky, solid Jamaican Ginger cake, that I like to eat with butter - that one improves with a couple of days wrapped in foil to mature, whereas this is heaven hot from the tin. You could ice this with a simple lemon water icing if you want, as Nigella suggests in her original recipe which I adapted heavily form How to be a Domestic Goddess, but I prefer without  - and to be honest, there's way to much sugar in it to start with!

150g butter
100g dark muscavado sugar
200g golden syrup
170g black treacle
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp dried ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
250ml full fat milk
3 medium eggs, briefly beaten
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda dissolved in the milk
300 g plain flour

Preheat oven to 160 C fan.
1 swiss roll/ brownie tin (25x 15) and one large loaf tin. Or a roasting tin 30x20 (in which case you may need to cook it an extra 10 mins) lined with baking parchment.

Melt the butter, syrup, treacle, sugar, gingers and cinnamon over  a low heat. When melt removed from heat and stir in the milk and bicarb, then eggs, and finally flour. It will be a very runny batter. Pour into the lined tins and cook for 30-45 mins until light and springy, and a skewer comes out clean. Keep an eye on it after 20 mins to be sure it doesn't catch on top.

Delicious warm but keeps very well for 10 days.

Banana Coconut Cake

This cake originated from a Pinterest find from Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body. Just the idea of banana and coconut milk together sent me back to my days (pre-kids) of travelling round South East Asia where bananas and coconut milk were a staple dessert - either with tapioca, or as fritters or pancakes.

I loved the idea of the recipe, but the original one didn't quite work for me with the jarring note of almond essence. So this version I have created takes me back to South East Asia - with the soft brown sugar to remind me of the jaggery, so often used in Thai cooking - helping to add an even fudgier texture. I am going to try it next time with the grated zest of a lime in to up the tropical feel one more level!

Preheat oven to 160C (fan)
Line a 2 lb (large) loaf tin with a baking parchment liner.

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas mashed
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 cup sunflower oil
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dessicated coconut (unsweetened)


Mash the bananas well and mix in the coconut milk and vanilla. Mix together the oil and sugar with a non electric whisk, add in the eggs, and the dry ingredients, then pour over the banana mix. Mix until combined (it will be quite a runny batter).

Pour in the tin and bake for 50 mins - 1 hour. Check after 25 mins, if it is browning too fast then cover with some foil. It is ready when a skewer comes out clean.