This is a really tasty cake for Christmas and is a great alternative if you don't like traditional Christmas cakes.
It is a three layer ginger cake filled with homemade satsuma curd and ginger buttercream.
I intended this to be a special cake for Christmas so I used my candied satsuma peel and made some gingerbread leaves and trees but you can decorate with anything you want.
Crystallised ginger would look lovely too. If you are not confident with the icing then make 2/3 of the icing and just spread it between the layers and not down the sides.
To start pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees centigrade (140 fan). Then line and grease three 8" round cake tins.
In a medium sized pan put the butter, dark brown sugar, black treacle and golden syrup.
On a medium heat stir until everything is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
In a measuring jug put the milk and eggs and mix together with a fork.
In a large bowl put the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and cinnamon.
Then add the sugar mixture and milk mixture to the flour and beat together until you have a smooth batter.
Pour the batter equally between the prepared tins, then bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Leave to cool.
To make the icing - put the butter, icing sugar and ground ginger in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment fitted.
Whisk until light and fluffy - add milk if necessary to make it easier to pipe/ spread over the cakes.
Put about 1/4 of the mixture in an icing bag with a round nozzle.
Place the first cake on the plate or board you wish to display the cake on.
Spread a small amount (just enough to cover the cake) of icing over the top of the first cake.
Then pipe a ring around the outside of the cake.
Spread half of the satsuma curd within the ring of icing then place the second cake ontop.
Repeat as you did with the first cake.
Place the third cake on top.
Then spread the remaining icing all over the top and then down the sides of the cake with a spatula.
Use some hot water to dip your spatula in to smooth and finish.
Decorate with the peel and gingerbread biscuits.
Ginger & Satsuma Festive Cake
Sarah’s servings: 10
Sarah’s skill: Medium
Baking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Cake
185g Butter
90g Soft dark brown sugar
150g Golden syrup
150g Black treacle
335g Self raising flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
3 tsp Ground ginger
2tsp Ground cinnamon
3 Large eggs
225 ml Semi skimmed milk
Icing
400g Soft unsalted butter
800g Sieved icing sugar
5 tsp Ground ginger
1-2 Tbsp Milk ( if needed)
Filling
1 Jar Satsuma curd
Decoration
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees centigrade (140 fan).
Line and grease three 8" round cake tins.
In a medium sized pan put the butter, soft dark brown sugar, black treacle and golden syrup.
On a medium heat stir until everything is melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
In a measuring jug put the milk and eggs and mix together with a fork.
In a large bowl put the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and ground cinnamon .
Then add the sugar mixture and milk mixture to the flour and beat together until you have a smooth batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared tins.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Leave to cool.
To make the icing - put the butter, icing sugar and ground ginger in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment fitted.
Whisk until light and fluffy - add milk if necessary to make it easier to pipe/ spread over the cakes.
Put about 1/4 of the mixture in an icing bag with a round nozzle.
Place the first cake on the plate or board you wish to display the cake on.
Spread a small amount (just enough to cover the cake) of icing over the top of the first cake.
Then pipe a ring around the outside of the cake.
Spread half of the satsuma curd within the ring of icing then place the second cake ontop.
Repeat as you did with the first cake.
Place the third cake on top.
Then spread the remaining icing all over the top and then down the sides of the cake with a spatula.
Decorate with the peel and gingerbread biscuits.
Sarah’s extra slice…….
The spatula and leaf cutters I used.