Dark Gingerbread Cake

A moist dark cake, made with ground ginger, fresh ginger and glace ginger. It is best made the day before eating and is perfect served with coffee. Recipe serves 16-20.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable or light olive oil
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons (135 ml) treacle
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon or rum
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 ounces (50 g) glace ginger, chopped
1 3/4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
2 ounces (60 g) rye flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
6 1/2 ounces (200 g) fresh dates, pitted
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

1. Combine eggs, oil, treacle, molasses, sugar, bourbon and grated and glace ginger in a bowl and mix well. Sift together flours, cocoa, baking powder and spices and stir into egg mixture until well combined. (The mixture will be very thick.) Combine dates and 1 3/4 cups water in a saucepan, bring to the boil and stir in soda. Remove from heat, gently stir date mixture into cake batter and mix well.
2. Pour mixture into a greased and floured round 10 inch (24 cm) cake tin and bake in center of oven at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 50-55 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.
3. Wrap cake in plastic wrap and stand for 1 day before eating to allow flavors to develop. Mask cake partly with paper strips, dust with icing sugar and serve with thick cream, if desired.

Note: Keeps in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.