Yuletide Gingerbread - dairy and gluten free

Who doesn't like sticky gingerbread, the prefect accompainment to present wrapping and one sure fire way of putting in the festive mood. 

This gingerbread is the sticky cakey kind and not the crunchy gingerbread man type of gingerbread, again not a beauty and a recipe that practically always sinks slightly in the middle but it has a beautiful spicy warmth with just the right amount of cloves. Easily made dairy and gluten free if required so its a recipe for all. 

A tip for you - lightly oil the container you measure the treacle in otherwise it will make a very sticky mess.

What you need

• 50g soft brown sugar
• 50g granulated sugar
• 120g quality vegetable margarine (dairy free) - I use Pure
• 1 large free range egg
• 150ml treacle
• 300g Self raising flour ( I have made this gluten free and it works fine, you may need to a little more water)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 heaped tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 heaped tablespoon ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 60ml of warm water

2lb loaf tin - oil sprayed and lined

What you do

• Prepare the baking tin
• Preheat the oven to 175c
• Cream the sugars and margarine in a mixer , until well mixed, fluffy and lighter in colour
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixer
• Mix quickly until you have a smooth mixture
• Scoop into the prepared tin and place in the pre heated oven
• Bake for 50 - 55 minutes
• Cool initially in the tin
• Remove from tin to a wire rack to cool fully
• Wrap and store in an airtight tin, if you can leave it for a few days its starts to go delightfully sticky.
• Delicious served with a cup of tea 

We are linking up to Love Cake over on JibberJabberUk , theme this month is "Festive Fun"

                                                        

Simply Eggcellent - with Dom at Belleau Kitchen, theme this month "Anything Goes"

                                                           

And finally Recipe of the Week with A Mummy Too.

                                                           

Spicy persimmon bundt cake

A few weeks ago I purchased 3 persimmons which were on special offer in my local market, these beautiful orange fruit are the unsung hero in this bake as they provide moisture and succulence, although you would never know they were there. Perfect for a wintery evening the spicing really lifts this bake and well worth the wait whilst the fruit was ripening.

What you need

• 3 persimmons - peeled and pureed
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 115g butter
• 200g light brown sugar
• 350g plain flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• Icing sugar and water to making glace icing

What you do

• Pre heat the oven to 180c
• Oil spray the bundt tin throughly
• Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy
• Add the bicarbonate of soda to the persimmon puree, it will jellify don't be alarmed
• Add the puree plus the other ingredients (except the icing sugar) to the sugar and butter
• Mix until you have a smooth mixture, sppon into the prepared bundt tin
• Smooth level 
• Bake for 40 -45 minutes, until risen and tested cooked with a skewer
• Cool fully in the tin on a wire rack
• Once cool, a sharp inversion of the tin should release the cake
• Ice when cool, using a drizzle technique.

I have just spotted that the theme for Love Cake for January 2015 is "Feeling Fruity" so I am linking up this post to this challenge. This is hosted over at Jibberjabber

                                  

Spicy Torus Cake aka Spicy Bundt Cake

I have secumbed to the trend sweeping through the baking nation , I have purchased a bundt or kugelhopf tin ! According to Mr B the correct geometrical term for this shape is a torus so that is what this cake has now been christened. Given that most recipes are from the US of A and thats where I have taken my inspiration from, this recipe is in cups, now I know that some bakers detest american cups but personally I love them, you just have to commit and buy a good set to get good results.

I love spiced cakes, my favourite spice being cinnamon, this recipe features both cinnamon and cloves, the warm comforting aroma that rises from the oven when baking is delightful  and  it scents the whole kitchen.

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable margarine
• 2 cups of caster sugar
• 3 eggs - free range
• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk ( if you can't get it milk acidified with lemon juice)
• Icing sugar to spinkle 

Method

• Preheat your oven to 180c
• Grease / oil your tin
• Cream your margarine and sugar until light and fluffy, use a mixer if you have one.
• Add your eggs , don't worry about the curdled look
• Add the flour, cinnamon, cloves, salt and bicarb, sift as you go.
• Mix well and pour into your prepared tin.
• Smooth top
• Bake for 50-55 mins until tested as cooked
• Cool in tin for 10 mins and then turn out to cool fully on wire rack.
• Dust with icing sugar to serve.

In celebration of the bundt , I am linking this post to DollyBakes National Bundt Day UK celebration