Moist Apple and Ginger Cake

The weather was pretty nice for a while, wasn’t it. I made this last week when summer seemed to be swinging into gear and it was actually warm enough to eat a couple of meals out in the garden, enjoying the warmth and the sensations that come with being in a place you will lose soon. The only rain I had to worry about last week was the pink and white rain of cherry and apple blossom carpeting the lawn in it’s thick beautiful snow. But good weather never lasts in the UK and we are back to high winds and rain, blagh!

I made Candied Ginger months ago, around Christmas time and I preserved half of it dried out with sugar and the other half in the thick delicious syrup that is a by-product of the candy making process. It imparts a softer and mellower ginger flavour to the recipe than using straight Ginger, one that hints it’s flavour rather than spelling it out, but Root Ginger would make a fine substitute for a slightly stronger tasting cake.

Ingredients

2 medium Eggs // 400g Brown Sugar // 3 tablespoons Ginger Syrup // 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract // 240mls Vegetable Oil // 2 teaspoons Cinnamon // 1/2 teaspoon Salt // 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda //  600g Plain Flour // 1 large Cooking Apple // 100g Candied Ginger

1. Set the oven to gas mark 4 (350F, 180C). In a bowl beat the Eggs with the Sugar, Ginger Syrup and Vanilla Extract until smooth and then beat the Oil in to the mix.
2. In a second bowl mix the Cinnamon, Salt and Bicarbonate of Soda and then mix in the Flour.
3. Slowly add the contents of the second bowl to the first while stirring to prevent lumps forming. Once the dough has been mixed thoroughly it should have the texture of a very thick batter.
4. Chop the apple into rough 1-2cm cubes and chop the Candied Ginger to your preference and then mix them into the batter with your hands.
5. Pour into a lined cake tin and bake from between 45 minutes to an hour and a quarter until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean when pulled out.

Enjoy!