Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

WARNING: this stuff is highly addictive!! Seriously, I made a batch with the aim of taking half into university to share with my classmates but it somehow all disappeared in a number of freak scoffing accidents before I had the chance...

The recipe below is adapted from one found in an old winter issue of Good Food magazine - I thought the original batter lacked a chocolatey flavour and didn't really taste much different from normal gingerbread cake so I added cocoa to the mix which resulted in the perfect marriage of chocolate and spice. I also cut down the amount of treacle and syrup used as I felt the previous quantities were a bit excessive.

This cake is definitely my new festive favourite as it's so deliciously moist, smells incredible and is super simple to make. It also keeps really well and, if anything, tastes better after a couple of days (if you can make it last that long...)

I finished this batch off with some sprinkly chocolate rings from Aldi.

INGREDIENTS - makes approx. 12 large squares

• 9 oz self-raising flour
• 5.5 oz butter/margarine
• 4 oz dark brown sugar
• 4 oz black treacle
• 4 oz golden syrup
• 4 oz milk or dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 5 fl oz milk

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C and line a rectangular cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Place the butter/margarine, sugar, treacle, syrup and spices into a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave until smooth or melt in a pan over the hob.
3. Roughly chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in another heatproof bowl then melt in the microwave in blasts of 30 seconds-1 minute or over a pan of hot water. 
4. Stir the melted chocolate into the butter mixture then fold in the flour, cocoa powder and milk.
5. Pour the mixture into the cake tin then bake for 20-30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
6. Transfer (with the baking parchment) onto a wire rack to cool then cut into squares with a sharp knife. Top with festive decorations of your choice if you wish.

Festive Rocky Road

I've not been great at keeping my blog updated over the last few months due to being busy with uni but now we're officially into the festive season it'd be wrong not to post some recipes! Being a loan-less student in London means money is pretty tight so I've been doing Christmas on a budget this year by creating as many homemade edible/crafty gifts as time and ability allows. This snowy white rocky road is a twist on the traditional kind and so ridiculously easy and cheap to make. The ruby red glace cherries look beautifully festive and the spicy ginger of the biscuits contrasts wonderfully with the creamy white chocolate.

You could also add nuts (e.g. pistachios or walnuts) or experiment with other goodies like dried cranberries for an equally authentic yuletide taste.

INGREDIENTS - makes approx. 15-18 squares

• 500g white chocolate
• 150g ginger nut biscuits
• 200g glace cherry halves (1 standard tub)
• 2 handfuls mini white marshmallows

METHOD

1. Line a standard rectangular cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in blasts of 30 seconds in the microwave (no longer or it'll seize!) or over a pan of hot water.
3. Roughly break the ginger nuts up by hand into pieces no bigger than a 50p piece and add to the chocolate then stir in the glace cherries and marshmallows until thoroughly coated.
4. Pour the mixture into the cake tin then allow to set in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours before cutting into squares with a sharp knife.