Our gingerbread, two ways

This can be served on its own at room temperature with a cup of tea or warm, as a dessert, with crème fraîche and sautéed brandy apples (as pictured).

SERVES 8-12

220g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus extra for greasing 300g black treacle (or blackstrap molasses) 100g soft light brown sugar 120g caster sugar 3 large eggs finely grated zest of 1 orange (1½ tsp) 400g plain flour 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tbsp ground ginger 2 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp salt 300ml just-boiled water 100g stem ginger, roughly chopped into 5mm pieces ● This is best made in a high-sided (9cm-10cm high), 20cm square springform tin, but if you don’t have one then use a high-sided 20cm round springform tin instead. If you go for the round option, you’ll make 8 large slices or 12 regular slices. It also looks great made in a 23cm bundt tin, as in the photograph. ● Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Grease a 20cm square (or round) springform tin and line with baking parchment, leaving an overhang at the sides to help you remove the cake from the tin later on. ● Place the butter, treacle, brown sugar, caster sugar, eggs and orange zest in a medium bowl and whisk together by hand or using a handheld electric whisk until combined. ● Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt together into a separate, larger bowl, then pour over the treacle mixture. Stir to combine and add the just-boiled water, whisking immediately to combine. Stir through the stem ginger, then pour the mixture into the cake tin. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a serving platter. ● The cake can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept at room temperature in an airtight container.