Afternoon Tea Delight - The Great Denby Cake Off

Denby Pottery are running a competition to find their favourite Afternoon Tea recipe. 

Stem&Ginger and I have collaborated to create a delicious seasonal chocolate gingerbread cake. It is rich, moist, and delicately flavoured with ginger and cinnamon. The cocoa and chocolate chunks give it that extra opulent bite! Comfort cake at its best.

Perfect for a cold damp autumn day with a cuppa and a friend.

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake with Cinnamon and Honey Frosting

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

Serves 8-10

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Decoration: 20 mins

Ingredients:

120 g unsalted butter

150 g dark muscovado sugar

2 eggs

240 ml buttermilk

100 g molasses

270 g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

60 g cocoa

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

Large pinch of nutmeg

½ tsp salt

4 tbsp crystalized ginger, chopped

180 g chocolate, roughly chopped, plus extra for decoration

For the Frosting:

200g mascarpone cheese

50 g unsalted butter

120 g icing sugar

1 tbsp runny organic honey

¼ tsp cinnamon

Method: 

Heat the oven to 180 C, and lightly grease 2 round 8-inch tins.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and dark muscovado sugar together until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, followed by the buttermilk and molasses. The mixture may look a little curdled.

Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt, and mix until you have a smooth batter. 

Fold in the crystalized ginger and chocolate, taking care not to over-mix.

Divide the mixture evenly into two tins. Bake for 35-40 mins, until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, slice off the dome-shaped tops for an even cake, or if you prefer, leave it whole. (You could use the excess to make chocolate gingerbread cake pops!)

Making the frosting by creaming the cheese and butter together for about five minutes until soft and fluffy. Add in the honey and cinnamon and then sift in the icing sugar. Check the taste until you are happy with the sweetness and consistency, adding more icing sugar if needed. Beat until smooth.

Spread some of the frosting over the bottom cake, the stack the second layer on top.
Coat the entire cake with the frosting, as thick as you wish, and sprinkle some chocolate on top.

Enjoy!

Afternoon Tea

Food Styling by Annie Hall (that's me!)
Photography by Karen Wall at Stem&Ginger