Ginger bundt
Prep time 25 mins Cook time 40 mins Serves 12
INGREDIENTS
● 280g softened butter, plus extra for greasing ● 250g caster sugar ● 1 orange, juice and zest ● 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting ● 2 tsp baking powder ● A pinch of salt ● 1-2 tsp ground ginger ● 4 eggs, lightly beaten ● 100g crystallised ginger, finely chopped ● 2 balls of preserved/stem ginger, finely chopped ● 150g maraschino cherries ● Icing sugar, sifted, for dusting
For the syrup
● 100g caster sugar ● Juice of 2 oranges
Special equipment
● 2.4L bundt tin
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Grease the bundt tin really well with melted butter, brushing it into all the shapes of the tin – this will allow it to upturn easily and keep the cake’s shape.
2 Put the butter, sugar and orange zest in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 10 minutes, or by hand for 15 minutes, until creamy and pale.
3 Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger into a separate mixing bowl and put to one side.
4 Trickle the egg into the creamed butter a little at a time, along with a spoonful of the flour mix, beating gently after each addition. When combined, stir in the remaining flour mix, then stir in the crystallised and preserved/stem ginger. Toss the cherries in a little flour (to help prevent them from sinking), then fold them in too.
5 Spoon the mixture into the greased tin, level the top and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden and risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. 6 To make the syrup, put the sugar and orange juice in a pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Using a skewer, poke holes all over the cake and slowly pour over the syrup.
7 Leave the cake in the tin until cool, then loosen the edges with a palette knife and turn it out on to a serving plate. Dust the top with icing sugar to serve. Store this cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days.