This mouthwatering dessert will be a great addition to any holiday dinner. Check out the recipe and baking instructions below.
Ginger Cake
Makes a 6 inch round cake that serves 6-8 people.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C for fan-forced ovens). Grease and line the base a round 6 inch (base measurement) cake pan with non-stick baking paper.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, powdered ginger, glace ginger and powdered cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk in butter, egg and milk. Pour into pan.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool before turning onto a serving plate. Serve with salted caramel poached pears (recipe below) and honeycomb.
Salted Caramel Poached Pears
4-5 cups of water
1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 firm, ripe pears, peeled and bottoms sliced off to make them stand
1 tbsp lemon juice
For the caramel sauce
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
a pinch of sea salt
To poach the pears: In a large pot, combine the water and sugar over medium-high heat. Add the lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Submerge pears in the simmering liquid, adding more water, if necessary, to just cover the pears. Cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle just large enough to cover the pot. Ease the paper down into the pot until it is touching the surface of the liquid. Simmer the pears until a knife inserted directly into a pear meets little resistance, about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cool the pears completely in the poaching liquid.
To make the sauce: In a saucepan, over high heat, combine the brown sugar and water and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the sauce is reduced, thicker and takes on a dark golden brown color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully stir in cream, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add salt.
To assemble/serve : Just before serving top the cooled cake with the pears and drizzle generously with salted caramel sauce. Add the crushed chocolate coated honeycomb (if using).]
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