ginger cake w chocolate sauce

This is my contribution to Waiter, There’s Something In My . . . Easter Basket! an event that’s in it’s third instalment and happens to be hosted by the lovely and generous Johanna.

This event calls for posts of recipes that make you think of Easter - and my mother’s ginger cake always does that.

It’s not that mum necessarily made this cake on the Easter weekend, but I remember her making it in Autumn once the weather started getting colder and we would huddle up at home in front of the TV scoffing down this spicy cake with plenty of chocolate sauce.

This only really happened occasionally, but it’s a memory that is so strong for me and one that I cherish. I had never known anyone else to make ginger cake and to so cleverly pair it with chocolate. I thought my mum was so smart.

Once I grew older I discovered that many people did this, but I still kept the feeling that my mum was so very clever and inventive.

In fact, I remember when mum and I travelled to Italy and I was so impressed with her fluent Italian language skills. It wasn’t until four years later, after I moved to Italy and learnt to speak some Italian, that I discovered my mother couldn’t speak a word! But I still couldn’t shake the feeling that she was a multilingual genius.

So in memory of my multilingual mother, whose cooking and cakes I miss almost as much as I miss her, here’s one of my favourite Autumn (and therefore Aussie Easter) treats.

Ginger Cake w Chocolate Sauce

The cake recipe comes from Alison Alexander on ABC Radio Brisbane.

Ingredients:
2¾ cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
3½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup warm water
½ cup brown sugar
125g butter, melted
¾ cup golden syrup
1 egg
200g good quality dark chocolate
300ml thickened cream

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 160’C.
2. Line a shallow 30cm X 20cm or deep 23cm square cake tin with baking paper.
3. Place all ingredients (except chocolate and cream) into a food processor and process until smooth – do not over-process.
4. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched and a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted.
5. While cake is cooling slightly, heat chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat until chocolate has melted and formed a sauce with the cream.
6. Remove cake from tin and cut into slices. Pour chocolate sauce over slices and serve immediately.
Note: Without chocolate sauce, cake can last about three days in an airtight container. Chocolate sauce can last about three days in fridge.

I served this cake with an intensely rich and decadent hot chocolate, spiced with cinnamon in the Mexican style.

Spicy Hot Chocolate
Anna’s very own recipe. Serves 3 or 2 with a top up.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon brown sugar
150g dark chocolate
250ml milk
100ml cream
Method:
1. Heat all ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat, whisking briskly until chocolate has melted.

2. Remove from heat and divide into individual cups. Serve hot with extra cinnamon, chocolate flakes or whipped cream.

Be sure to visit the recap to see what delicious food made the international Easter list and perhaps Johanna will fill us all in on the intriguing Central European Easter traditions of waterfights and spanking.



Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes dessert cake ginger cake chocolate chocolate sauce dessert recipes cake recipes hot chocolate spicy hot chocolate drink recipes