Recipes

Gingerbread Cake With Cranberry Compote

Nothing is more frustrating than finding the perfect recipe but not having the ingredients to make it. As food costs rise, people aren't keen on buying specific ingredients to use just for one recipe. Luckily, Joseph Richard Group's culinary director, chef Colin Burslem has a few recipes that include ingredients most people are bound to have in their pantries

By Colin Burslem /

This festive cake recipe is pantry-friendly and absolutely delicious

Nothing is more frustrating than finding the perfect recipe but not having the ingredients to make it. As food costs rise, people aren’t keen on buying specific ingredients to use just for one recipe. Luckily, Joseph Richard Group’s culinary director, chef Colin Burslem has a few recipes that include ingredients most people are bound to have in their pantries.

Here’s one of his favourites…

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 30 g fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp each ground allspice and ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup each molasses and
  • 1/2 cup golden corn syrup
  • 250 ml water
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat oven to 350 F.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, fresh ginger, ground spices, baking powder, baking soda and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix well.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, molasses, golden corn syrup and oil, then beat well.
  4. Add 250 ml water to wet ingredients and stir. Then add to the flour mixture and whisk to combine.
  5. Pour batter into a buttered and floured 23 centimetre-diameter fluted ring tin and bake until a skewer inserted withdraws clean (45 to 55 minutes).
  6. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate to cool for a further 30 minutes.
  7. Serve with cranberry compote spooned on top.

CRANBERRY COMPOTE

  • 1 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 100 ml water
  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
  • 2 tbsp mandarin orange juice
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Stir sugar and 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).
  2. Reduce heat to low, add cranberries and juices (careful as hot caramel will spit), vanilla and stir to combine.
  3. Cool to room temperature and store in the fridge until required.
  4. Cranberry compote will keep for up to a week refrigerated in an airtight container.