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Dark gingerbread cake with mandarin compote

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for dark gingerbread cake with mandarin compote.

By Jerrie-Joy Redman-Lloyd
  • 15 mins preparation
  • 1 hr 15 mins cooking
  • Serves 6 - 8
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Dark gingerbread cake with mandarin compote

Ingredients

  • 375 gm (2½ cups) flour
  • 180 gm (1 cup) light brown sugar
  • 30 gm fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp each ground allspice and ground nutmeg
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 125 gm (1/2 cup) each molasses and golden syrup
  • 160 ml (2/3 cup) vegetable oil
Mandarin compote
  • 220 gm caster sugar
  • 3 mandarins, segmented, pith removed
  • 2 tbsp mandarin juice
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
  • 1 tsp orange-blossom water

Method

Main
  • 1
    For mandarin compote, stir sugar and 100ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat to dissolve sugar, bring to the boil, brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, and cook until caramel (8-10 minutes). Reduce heat to low, add mandarin segments and juices (careful as hot caramel will spit), vanilla and orange-blossom water, and stir to combine. Cool to room temperature and store in the fridge until required. Mandarin compote will keep for up to a week refrigerated in an airtight container.
  • 2
    Heat oven to 180C. Combine flour, sugar, fresh ginger, ground spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix well.
  • 3
    In a separate bowl, combine eggs, molasses, golden syrup and oil, and beat well. Add 250ml water, stir to combine, then add to flour mixture, whisking to combine. Pour batter into a buttered and floured 23cm-diameter fluted ring tin and bake until a skewer inserted withdraws clean (45-55 minutes). Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate to cool for a further 30 minutes. Serve with mandarin compote spooned on top. Gingerbread cake is best eaten on the day of making, but will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

Note This cake works really well with a thick vanilla custard.