Ah, ginger and almond – two of my all time baking faves, but
(and I’m willing to be corrected!) I don’t think I’ve ever baked something
using them both. I know! Shock or what?
These slices use crystallised ginger – not stem ginger. I point that out because I have in the past
tried substituting stem for crystallised and it doesn’t work because the stem
ginger is hard and doesn’t get soft on baking.
Crystallised ginger is soft and almost melts in your mouth. Use crystallised only for this recipe as you
want the soft ginger to complement the squidgy almonds.
This sort of bake holds a special place in my heart; I have
an immense fondness for anything that is a perfect accompaniment to a cup of
tea. I love tea nearly as much as I love
cake and biscuits.
The recipe takes a moment of minutes to complete and put in
the oven and there’s no additional work required – no toppings or
fillings. Just cut into slices, make a
cup of tea (or a pot if you’re a purist), put your feet up and enjoy! (NB. It keeps really well too – I had a slice
with my tea on subsequent days and it stays beautifully crumbly and
flavoursome)
Apologies for the very early update this week - Mr CC and I are heading off for a well deserved holiday!
Ingredients
175g unsalted butter, at room temperature
220g caster sugar
1 egg
225g plain flour
2 tablespoons milk
100g ground almonds
1-2 teaspoons ground ginger – depending how much you like your ginger!
125g crystallised ginger – chopped into small nuggets
70g flaked almonds
220g caster sugar
1 egg
225g plain flour
2 tablespoons milk
100g ground almonds
1-2 teaspoons ground ginger – depending how much you like your ginger!
125g crystallised ginger – chopped into small nuggets
70g flaked almonds
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/375°F/gas mark 5
Grease a 30cm x 20cm tin.
I used a disposable foil traybake tin from Lakeland.
Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the egg.
Beat in half the flour, followed by a tablespoon of milk.
Beat in the remaining flour, followed by the second tablespoon
of milk.
Stir in the ground almonds, ground ginger and chopped
ginger.
Spoon into the traybake tin and spread out into an even
layer.
Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top.
Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted
comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin then cut into fingers.
Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.
Eat.
That looks both delicate and substantial, if you know what I mean! I love how generous your slices of cake are too:) Have a lovely holiday!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a dependable sort of cake! I didn't know that about stem and crystalised ginger either. Enjoy your hol :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever tasted almond and ginger together, I'm intrigued. Anything almondy is a winner in my book. And tea is just the best! Enjoy your holiday CC!
ReplyDeleteLooks devine! I heart ginger.
ReplyDeleteCakelaw
http://www.kitchenlaw.blogspot.com
Have a great holiday! Hope you will post some local recipes as you have done before. I agree about tea entirely.
ReplyDeleteLooks lovely and just the right thing with a cup of tea! Have a lovely holiday. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never tried ginger & almond combo but this sounds & looks amazing! Would love to try this recipe! :)
ReplyDeleteDon't think I've done ginger and almond together either, not for distinct flavours anyway. Maybe a bit of dried spice. Looks delicious and perfect for afternoon munching. A cross between cake and shortbread
ReplyDeleteI've never tried ginger and almond together, but as I love both flavours I can only imagine it would be delicious! These look like a perfect Sunday afternoon treat.
ReplyDeleteIt seems almond is having a bit of a moment...it seems to be in a lot of current bakes, including one I've just made! Love the combination of ginger and almond...and it would be perfect with tea! :-)
ReplyDeleteffThis sounds fab, definitely one to try. I too love tea and something nice to have with a cuppa, this would be bliss.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, I don't think I've had this combination before either - why ever not? Hope you have a great holiday and come back feeling refreshed and rested.
ReplyDeleteAnything with ginger I love! These sound wonderful and they look wonderful too. Blessings, Catherine
ReplyDeleteYour last few recipes immediately made it to the top of my baking list (I absolutely must try out anything almond, anything ginger and anything spice).
ReplyDeleteThe thing about this cake dough? It was incredibly sticky. Spreading it into "an even layer" was a chore; it stuck to my spoon like its life depended on it. The layer wasn't too thick, so I was sort of anxious. Will it grow without a leavening agent? Won't it be too dense? The answers are "no" and "no, it won't", respectively. After I took it out of the oven, the cake was practically coral-sponge soft, and after cooling, it developed a decadent, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Mmm, gorgeous. The only thing I would modify, though, is the amount of powdered ginger - I added about 2,5 tsp, and still the almonds stole the show. So if you really like your ginger, bring it on :)