Cinnamon and Ginger Sponge: Quick Prep

I swore that while the temperature was 32 degrees, the oven was NOT going to be used, I even prepped in advance.

Well, that lasted until 8 am when the discovery of ‘nothing sweet in the house’ prompted Gas Mark 4. I wasn’t about to hang about, my mixer is always on the worktop and having recently given up baking 12 loaf cakes a week, I can do cakes with my eyes shut.

I do my mixes by weight not eggs, I always make two at a time for two reasons.

• I can wrap one in cling film and put it in the freezer and
• My 35 year old Kenwood Electronic doesn’t like little amounts!

On average I can put a mix in the oven between 5 and 7 minutes from starting.

I have 3 rules for baking.

1. Never bake angry, you will kill it
2. Don’t take too much time over everything, believe in yourself and go for it.
3. Always whisk your eggs first in a sponge cake, if you have a hand whisk you want 3 times the volume, that is your air.

2 x 2lb loaf tins

Oven on 160 c/Gas Mark 4

Ingredients

• 300 g baking margarine
• 300 g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 300 g Self Raising Flour
• 5 eggs

Method

1. Turn the oven on
2. Get your tins
3. In your mixing bowl put the margarine, sugar, cinnamon and ginger.
4. Turn on high and leave to cream
5. Grease your tins, base line them
6. Weigh your flour
7. Crack the eggs in a jug and whisk on high. You need 3 x the original volume if you can get it.
8. Turn the creamed mixture down to low, add 3 large spoons of flour. Let it fully mix in
9. Turn the mixer up to mid speed, add a good slug of the egg mix
10. Keep repeating last 2 steps until all the flour and eggs are mixed in.
11. Divide between your 2 tins, bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes until a skewer/knife/knitting needle/pokey thing comes out clean and its no longer singing.

After Cooking

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes and turn out. Cool completely then tin/fridge/wrap and freeze.

On thawing: take it out of the freezer and put on a piece of kitchen roll. Let it thaw for 2 to 3 hours. There should be very little dampness and unlikely that it becomes soggy.

Pricing

Costs 76p per cake approx 9p a slice (8 slices)