Ginger Zinger cake - gluten free and super easy

This is an amazing cake and I challenge you to even tell its gluten free, its light, moist and delicious and very very moreish. Based on a recipe from Honeybuns bakery book (Ginger hippo cake) but with a few creative twists this is a very popular cake in our household and was very well received when I published a few photographs on instagram. I named it Ginger zinger as it contains ginger in four different forms, yet the ginger still doesn't overpower the cake. The filling and topping is very different from what is suggested in the original recipe and I think adds a flavour twist to the cake.

The recipe features sorghum flour which is a tall grass grain which produces a soft white flour and is naturally gluten free, this is combined with ground almonds to create a moist cake with volume. I am also one for not wasting flavours or ingredients soI  decided to use the sticky ginger syrup the stem ginger is preserved in, to enrich the lemon buttercream.I am really pleased with the result and it stores beautifully in the fridge just covered with film wrap, serve in generous slices with a cake fork or spoon.

What you need

• 175g butter - melted 
• Oil spray and tapioca flour for the baking tins
• 100g of drained stem ginger - chopped fine in the food processor
• 4 eggs - free range medium size
• 175g light soft brown sugar
• 125g ground almonds
• 100g sorghum flour
• 2 heaped tsp ground ginger 
• 1 tsp baking powder

Buttercream filling

• 200g soft butter or half and half butter spread and butter
• 400g icing sugar
• Lemon juice (or lemon extract or fiori di sicilia essence)
• Ginger Syrup from stem ginger
• Chopped crystallised for sprinkling on top

2 x 8" sandwich cake tins

What you do

• Preheat the oven to 180c 
• Oil spray the tins and flour dust with tapioca flour, tap the tins to remove the excess
• Mix the finely chopped stem ginger, eggs, sugar, flour, ground almonds, ginger and baking powder and cooled melted butter in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer until you have a smooth mixture.
• Working quickly pour into the prepared tins, splitting the mixture equally between the two tins.
• Place in the oven and bake for 25 -30 minutes until golden, well risen and firm to the touch in the middle.
• Cool in the tins on a wire rack and once fully cool remove from the tins by loosening with a palette knife around the tin and up turning onto a tea towel.
• To make the buttercream whip the softened butter and icing sugar, syrup and lemon juice in a mixer, beat thoroughly for at least 7 minutes, until all the sugar has dissolved and the buttercream isn't gritty.
• Smooth just over half the quantity of buttercream on the base layer of the cake, top with the other layer and then create the topping buttercream.
• Smooth the rest of the buttercream on the top of the cake and sprinkle on the middle the chopped crystallised ginger.
• Ta dah ! Ginger Zinger Cake, best served slightly cool with a refreshing cup of tea. 

If you wished you could add another ginger or lemon layer to the flavours by using a ginger jam or lemon marmalade to fill the cake along with the buttercream.

Given the quantity of ginger contained in this recipe I am including this post in the link up for "The Spice Trail" hosted by Bangers and Mash

                                                      

I am also linking up to Casa Castello for Bake of the Week too, as I promised when I blogged this cake I would link up as it contains sorghum flour.