I spotted the first cherry blossoms today and the weather felt warmer than usual. It’s coming! Spring is coming. I felt like doing a happy dance. Meanwhile it occurred to me that I have this huge list of winter recipes to share and winter will be gone in a wink. This winter I tested out recipes to my heart’s content. It is such a delight when the outcome is delicious. My messy kitchen seems so worth it! I have a soft spot for ginger cakes. In fact my very first post was a ginger cupcake recipe that I make over and over again. It’s nice to have tried and tested recipes at hand but I also like to experiment with varieties of the same cakes or desserts in pursuit of perfection.
I can remember at least 10 times being asked for substitutes for treacle and molasses that are so classic to ginger and gingerbread cakes. Honestly, they are hard to substitute as the sticky, deep, rich flavour is what brings out the spicy taste of ginger. However, if you must make a great ginger cake without the syrups, this is it. It has a strong taste of ginger whilst being moist and light. I find that powdered ginger is quite subtle whereas freshly grated ginger is too overpowering. Bits of raw ginger in the mouth is not the most pleasant thing to taste. Crystallised ginger or glace ginger is the solution for me. It is intense, sweet and kind of gets lost in the batter. To compensate for the absence of molasses, I’ve topped the cake with salted caramel poached pears. It is a match made in heaven is all I can say. Crunchy chocolate coated honeycomb completes the balance.
With or without the poached pears, the cake is must make when all you do is throw a handful of ingredients together. It’s a three line recipe only which is what I love.
Ginger Cake
Makes a 6 inch round cake that serves 6-8 people.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C for fan-forced ovens). Grease and line the base a round 6 inch (base measurement) cake pan with non-stick baking paper.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, powdered ginger, glace ginger and powdered cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk in butter, egg and milk. Pour into pan.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool before turning onto a serving plate. Serve with salted caramel poached pears (recipe below) and honeycomb.
Salted Caramel Poached Pears
4-5 cups of water
1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 firm, ripe pears, peeled and bottoms sliced off to make them stand
1 tbsp lemon juice
For the caramel sauce
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
a pinch of sea salt
To poach the pears: In a large pot, combine the water and sugar over medium-high heat. Add the lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Submerge pears in the simmering liquid, adding more water, if necessary, to just cover the pears. Cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle just large enough to cover the pot. Ease the paper down into the pot until it is touching the surface of the liquid. Simmer the pears until a knife inserted directly into a pear meets little resistance, about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cool the pears completely in the poaching liquid.
To make the sauce: In a saucepan, over high heat, combine the brown sugar and water and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the sauce is reduced, thicker and takes on a dark golden brown color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully stir in cream, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add salt.
To assemble/serve : Just before serving top the cooled cake with the pears and drizzle generously with salted caramel sauce. Add the crushed chocolate coated honeycomb (if using).
It’s funny because I was just thinking the other day that I would like to try making (so I could eat) some poached pears. And here you are not only doing that but magnificently combining it in this cake with all these wonderful elements. This is so special. : )
Dearest Sonali, GOOD MORNING! So, you have already spotted cherry blossoms? GET READY for the enchantment! We here had such a perfect spring and summer season, and now, it’s your turn. Which in turn, it’s our turn to enjoy your perfectly autumnal recipes, like this one!
As always, your photography of these wonders leaves a lasting impression that evokes such emotion. A sigh of wonder, an intake of inspiration…..you are gifted and I am sure that the tastes beyond the viewing of these fine cakes is phenomenal.
I go back to school to teach in two weeks, but on Monday, meetings and planning begin. It was such a great journey on IG with you and here, and I plan on following no matter how busy life gets! Much love, Anita Rivera
Beautiful! Simply gorgeous!!!!!
we love poached pears and this cake looks simply stunning!! <3
When you say you see Cherry blossoms, I look for yellow leaves, the sign of fall.
Love your creation Sonali! Have a great week ahead..
I’ve been using lots of ginger lately, too. I made some mini tarts with candied ginger hidden under a layer of thick creamy dark chocolate ganache. This looks – and I’m sure tastes – fantastic!
Oh this looks so yum!
Im gonna make the cake !!
You make the prettiest cake…I love this warm and festive cake Sonali…salted caramel and poached pears…yes!
Thanks for the post…hope you are having a great week 🙂
I just made this for my annual new years day party where I have a buffet of exquisite desserts. Everyone that attends this feast looks forward to the desserts, even the non sweet lovers ( they are really closet dessert lovers). I’m an adventurist person by nature and my friends know I will take risks with their sweet tooth addictions. But the truth is I don’t want to look bad, like they can’t trust me to indulge their inner child. So for this day I made this beautiful dessert. There wasn’t a single person that wasn’t awed by this dessert, some thought the pears were fake! Not just the beautiful display of succulent pears but the full flavored and moist cake. Everyone loved this wonderful cake. I highly recommend preparing the pears, caramel and cake before the day of reserection so that the cake can be assembled more easily. I actually made the cake three days ahead , then wrapped it well in parchment ,plastic wrap and then foil to freeze for its safety. Then assembled it when still frozen and left it on the buffet for it’s unveiling. The cake was lovely, moist and very rich in flavor. I also suggest small servings because of it’s richness! A nice sharp riesling or chardonnay to clear the taste buds was perfect. I don’t follow anyone, never thought to, until now. You are my first. Thank you for being here.
Hi Tracey, thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your experience. I’m so happy that you liked it. And a big thank you for the wonderful tips. Happy New Year to you and your family:-)
This looks so wonderful! I’m planning to make it for Thanksgiving dinner (here in Canada, that falls on October 9 this year). 2 questions: are we supposed to use a tube pan? (in the pictures it looks as if the centre of the cake is hollow), and please confirm the size of the pan (6″ seems so small). Thank you!
I’m making this dessert for Thanksgiving too. I’m using a 6 inch round pan; its deep – maybe 4 inches about. Cake rose and bulged on the sides but no spillage. Hope that helps – and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Sonali !
So here a little comment to say it’s the second time that I make one of your cake and the second time that it regales our taste buds !
But for this one I switch cinnamon and ginger with vanilla essence and coffee powder and it was so perfect. And on the top I put somes nuts. The dough is really light.
So again, congratulations for these creations ! 😉
Do you think I could freeze the pears after poaching.
No to poached pears being frozen
Please confirm what type of tin you used??
6 inch tin doesn’t make sense to me – did you do this in a tube pan as one might use for Angel Food Cake?