Ginger Cakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache

Ginger, golden syrup, treacle and chocolate... what’s not to love? At Fortnum's, we make these using individual loaf moulds, but a 12-hole muffin tin or a single large loaf tin would work just as well.

Ingredients

MAKES 12 INDIVIDUAL CAKES

For the chocolate ganache

130g Valrhona Dulcey (blonde) chocolate, or milk chocolate

180ml whipping cream

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons liquid glucose 

For the cakes

110g unsalted butter, at room temperature

110g soft dark brown sugar

1 egg

225g plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

100g golden syrup

110g black treacle

250ml whole milk

100g stem ginger, finely chopped

Method

1. Break the chocolate into 2cm pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Pour half the cream into a saucepan, add the honey and liquid glucose, and slowly bring to the boil. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate in three stages, stirring each time, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Beat with a hand-held blender, then add the rest of the cream. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for 6 hours. 

2. Beat the butter and sugar for the cakes together in a bowl with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then add the egg and beat again to combine. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a separate bowl, stir to combine, then mix into the butter and sugar mixture in three stages, beating to combine completely each time.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4. Pour the golden syrup, treacle and milk into a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is uniform – don’t let it come to the boil. Pour the treacle mixture into the other ingredients and add the stem ginger. Beat to combine.

4. Pour the cake mixture into greased individual loaf moulds, a greased 12-hole muffin tin or a greased large loaf tin. Bake in an oven for 20–22 minutes, or for 50 minutes if cooking the mixture in one large loaf tin, until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the top of the cake bounces back when you press the top gently with your finger. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely before gently running a knife round the sides to release them. 

5. When the ganache has chilled, remove it from the fridge and use an electric whisk to beat it to soft peaks. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag and pipe on top of the cakes, or use a spatula to gently spread the ganache over. 

Inspiration

Discover The Journal, home to a host of our most delicious stories. 

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