It’s always nice to have a tasty cake hanging around the gaf if visitors drop by or if it’s just yourself enjoying a slice with your cuppa.

Life is too short to deny ourselves and especially so at Chrimbo! Enjoy every morsel

Ingredients

For the sponge 

125g unsalted butter 

125g golden syrup 

125g unrefined molasses sugar 

75g unrefined light muscovado sugar 

50g dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa, chopped 3 large free-range eggs 

200ml evaporated milk 

225g self-raising flour1 

1/2 tsp baking powder 

35g cocoa powder 

1/2 tsp sea salt 

1 tbsp ground ginger 

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 

1 tsp ground allspice 

100g crystallised stem ginger, chopped 

For the decoration 

100g crystallised stem ginger, in chunks, chilled 100g dark chocolate, melted 

Icing sugar for sprinkling 

For the chocolate ginger icing 

75g unsalted butter, softened 

175g icing sugar 

2 tbsp evaporated milk 

1/2 tsp ground ginger 

25g dark chocolate, melted

Method or madness?!!

1. 

Heat the oven to 160°C To make the sponge, gently heat the 125g butter, golden syrup and both sugars in a large heavy-based pan until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat, add the 50g chocolate, stir until melted, then 

set aside to cool. When the mixture has cooled slightly, beat in the eggs using a wooden spoon. 

2. 

Stir together the remaining sponge ingredients including 

the evaporated milk in a large mixing bowl, then add the chocolate mixture and fold in using a flexible spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared tin, then bake for 50- 55 minutes until well risen and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, 

then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 3. 

Meanwhile make the decoration: remove the crystallised stem ginger from the fridge and put in a large mixing bowl with the melted chocolate. Using 2 forks, toss the 

ginger in the chocolate to coat, then transfer each piece to the lined baking sheet and leave to set. 

4. 

For the icing, beat the 75g butter in a mixing bowl until very soft using an electric mixer. Working in batches, mix in the icing sugar, then the evaporated milk and ground ginger, then beat again until light and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate to the bowl and mix again. 5.

Top the cake with the icing in great swathes and swirls, then scatter over the chocolate-coated stem ginger. To serve, sprinkle generously with icing sugar to create a snowy scene.