Cherry and ginger ice-cream cake
SERVES 12 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES (+ COOLING AND FREEZING TIME)
100g butter, chopped ⅓ cup (115g) golden syrup ⅓ cup (115g) treacle ⅓ cup (75g) firmly packed brown sugar 1 cup (150g) plain flour ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ⅓ cup (80ml) milk 1 egg ⅓ cup (75g) crystallised ginger, chopped finely 1 litre good quality ice-cream, softened 250g cherries, seeded, chopped
BRANDIED CHERRIES
1 cup (220g) caster sugar 1 cup (250ml) brandy 250g cherries 1 Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Grease a deep 20cm square cake pan; line base and sides with baking paper. 2 Stir butter, syrup, treacle and sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat until butter and sugar are melted. Remove from heat; stand for 20 minutes until cooled slightly. 3 Sift flour, soda and spices into a large bowl; make a well in centre. Whisk milk and egg into syrup mixture. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture; stir until smooth. Stir in chopped ginger. Pour mixture into pan. 4 Bake cake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan. 5 Line cleaned cake pan with freezer wrap. Put the ice-cream into a large bowl with cherries; stir until just combined. Press ice-cream into pan, ensuring it is smooth to edges; cover. Freeze overnight until firm. 6 BRANDIED CHERRIES Stir sugar and brandy in a medium saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil; boil for 4-5 minutes or until thick and syrupy. Put cherries into a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot syrup over the cherries; cool. 7 To assemble, place the cake on a serving plate. Quickly remove ice-cream from pan; trim edges. Place ice-cream on cake; decorate with Brandied Cherries. Suitable to freeze. Step 2 suitable to microwave.