The end of October signals the start of winter socialising season. This is not the picnics and beer gardens of summer, but the dinner with friends and squeezing in the family visits before the Christmas mania starts. It’s a time for pottering about in the kitchen with something slow cooking while you bake for pleasure, to feed the visitors or take with you when you descend on Auntie Pat.
If you want something that sounds simple but is show stopping in flavour this ginger cake recipe is the puppy you are after. It’s spicy with depth, not a one-note ginger tang. It’s one of the few cakes that I like with ice cream. It’s sticky delicious gorgeousness. Autumn needs stick to the ribs food and this is it.
Also, I don’t think good food should cause you any stress. All the Masterchef style shouting is not for me. It is just food and if anything goes wrong you can make a fish finger butty and calm down. No one ever complained about a Cornetto for pudding. This recipe demands a two hour sit down in the middle of making it. That’s a good few brews and a film. Baking with enforced relaxing built in? Fizzy!
With huge thanks to Martine Cale for recommending this.