Sticky ginger cake

MINERAL elements are required by the body in small amounts.

Calcium builds bones and teeth, controls muscle function and regulates heartbeat.

Iron makes haemoglobin in red blood cells and carries oxygen around the body.

Sodium maintains water balance in the body.

Fluoride supports bone health and prevents tooth decay. Iodine maintains a healthy metabolic rate. Phosphorus maintains bones and teeth, in addition to releasing energy from food.

Sources of minerals include nuts, bread and fortified cereals, liver, eggs, milk, green leafy vegetables, cheese, fish, brown rice, poultry, water, dried fruit and grains.

This week, we have a sticky ginger cake recipe that serves 10 people.

It requires at least one and a half hours of preparation time.

This is a wonderful cake that should be left for a couple of days before eating.

Ingredients

120g butter/baking margarine;

125g black treacle;

100g golden syrup;

150ml milk;

120g brown sugar/old-fashioned sugar;

225g cake flour/plain;

Half-teaspoon bicarbonate of soda;

Two eggs;

Three crushed brandy snaps

Lime buttercream

150g icing sugar;

100g butter/baking margarine;

One zest of lemon and juice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 170°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm, 7,5cm deep baking tin and line with baking paper
2. Gently melt treacle, syrup, sugar and butter into a pan.

Do not boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly

3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ginger and soda. Add treacle mixture and fold with a large spoon. Add eggs and mix well
4. Pour batter into the baking tin. Knock a couple of times on the work surface to release any bubbles
5. Bake for 40-50 minutes until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean
6. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack. When the cake is cold, wrap it in baking paper and foil, then leave for a couple of days.

This will make it moist and have a slightly sticky surface

7. When ready to serve, make lime buttercream.

Cream butter and icing sugar in a bowl until fluffy for five minutes, add lime zest and juice slowly, still beating.

Spread buttercream over the cake. Scatter with brandy snaps.

Power foods

Ginger: Fights germs, calms nausea, curbs cancer growth, lowers blood sugar, eases arthritis symptoms, protects against disease and eases period pain.

Food safety guidelines

Campylobacter jejuni causes more food-related illnesses than any other organism. Sources include raw poultry, untreated milk, raw or inadequately cooked or processed foods of animal origin and chlorinated water.

Symptoms are diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, headache and urinary tract infections, among others.

Control measures include cooking food thoroughly, proper handling of foodstuffs, drying or freezing food products and adding acids.

Rudo Kandiero is a qualified chef with a diploma in food preparation and culinary arts, patisserie and food safety. She can be contacted on: 0772 748 509.