Triple ginger loaf

PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 45 MINS (+ COOLING) SERVES 10

180g butter, chopped

1/3 cup (75g) firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (175g) treacle

1/2 cup (175g) golden syrup

1 cup (250ml) milk

1½ tsp baking soda

12/3 cups (300g) plain flour

3 tsp ground ginger, plus

1/4 tsp extra

1½ tsp ground allspice

3/4 cup (165g) crystallised ginger, chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

GINGER ALE ICING

1/2 cup (125ml) ginger ale

20g butter

1 cup (160g) icing sugar

3 tsp lemon juice

1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 15cm x 23.5cm x 9cm loaf pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm over the sides.

2 Stir the butter, sugar, treacle, golden syrup and milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil (mixture may look slightly curdled at this stage).

Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda.

3 Sift flour and ground spices into a large bowl. Stir in the butter mixture and crystallised ginger until just combined.

Stir in eggs until just combined. Pour mixture into pan. Cover with a piece of pleated foil

(see tips).

4 Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for a further 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (the cake will have a crack along the top; this is fine). Cool loaf in pan. 5 To make the ginger ale icing, bring ginger ale to the boil in a small saucepan over medium heat and boil for 6 minutes or until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Transfer mixture to a small bowl. Whisk in sifted icing sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon juice until combined. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining juice, if needed, to thin the icing. Immediately pour over cooled loaf. Stand loaf until icing sets.

6 Dust with extra ground ginger to serve.