Whilst Christmas may be a little bit different this year, now leaving me only cooking & baking for the two of us, that doesn’t mean that there’ll be any less of either going in my kitchen, or that we won’t try to still make it a special affair. There are still enough desserts to feed an army on the kitchen top & my fridge is crammed with about 80% cheese, only 20% vegetables. That’s not to say that I won’t put my feet up a little more now that the pressure of cooking for more family is off though, I’m still going to make some special treats but I might just make them a little bit differently or simplified this year. My kitchen literally has every kind of tin, tool or cutter imaginable at this point in my life, half of which actually take the hard work out of making things look nice & pretty. One of these are my (probably too large) collection of NordicWare bundt tins that I’ve collected over the years.
They’re amazing at making showstopping cakes with minimal effort & as you’d expect, I have one for every season! My favourite one’s though have to be my Christmas tins, each year I look forward to bringing them out & am in awe of what they do to my cakes, they never fail to give me all of the festive feels (even this year!). In the run up to Christmas (basically from December 1st), gingerbread is on the agenda. Biscuits & houses are a must & I will end up making at least two of my gingerbread loaves no doubt. But, for the big day itself I leave it down to my favourite bundt tin to create an even more special version of my gingerbread cake.
Looking at my wonderful forest of snow dusted Christmas trees, you’d think that inside awaits you a soft, billowy, spiced sponge but this is one of those, damp, dense, almost chewy sort of gingerbreads because I love them so much more. Food should be heavy, heart & full of spice at this time of year & this beauty delivers. A stunning, festive showstopper that is so simple to make & requires minimal washing up (another thing I strive for at this time of year!).
GINGERBREAD BUNDT
(makes one 1.5 litre (10 inch) bundt)
Ingredients:
- 500g golden syrup
- 190g butter, cubed
- 2 large eggs
- Pinch of salt
- 375g plain flour
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 1/2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 1/2 tbsp ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 350ml milk
Method:
- Begin by greasing a 10inch bundt tin
- In a large saucepan melt together the golden syrup with the butter then set aside to cool to room temperature
- Once cooled, add the eggs & salt to the pan & beat this though
- Place a sieve over the pan & sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda & spices, mix until everything is smooth & well combined
- Finally, slowly pour the milk into the pan whilst continually stirring until all of the milk has been added & everything is smooth
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt tin
- Bake the gingerbread loaf at 180°C for 1 hour until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean & the cake springs back when pressed lightly with a finger
- Leave the cake to cool in its tin for 10 minutes before removing & allowing to cool fully on a cooling rack
- Once cooled, finish the gingerbread bundt with a little flurry of icing sugar before serving
