DOUBLE GINGER CAKE

SERVES 8

100g demerara sugar

3 eggs

150g golden syrup

150ml mild-flavoured olive oil

or vegetable oil

50ml full-cream milk

50g ginger, peeled and grated

250g self-raising flour

1 tbsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp freshly ground cloves

1 tsp freshly ground cardamom seeds pistachios, blanched and slivered

(or chopped kernels), to serve 250g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

125g unsalted butter, softened 100g brown sugar

2 tbsp pure icing sugar, sifted,

plus extra if desired

1 lemon, zested

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 23cm round cake tin and line with baking paper. 2 Whisk sugar and eggs together in a large bowl until pale and well combined. Pour in golden syrup, oil and milk, add fresh ginger and continue to whisk until smooth. Add flour, a pinch of salt and all spices and gently whisk just until it is all incorporated. 3 Pour batter into prepared tin, then transfer to the oven and bake for 50–55 minutes, until a skewer inserted into cake’s centre comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 4 To make brown sugar cream cheese frosting, place cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add butter and continue to whisk until smooth and incorporated. Add in both sugars and continue to whisk on medium-high speed for about 3-4 minutes, until mixture is light, airy and well combined. Fold through lemon zest and spread frosting onto cooled cake. Top with slivered pistachios and serve.