Iced Ginger Cake

Gingerbread cake reminds me of Christmas. This version is deliciously moist, decadently sweet (perfect at Xmas time), filled with orange cream and topped with chocolate icing. Serve it to your guests, they are bound to ask for more!

200g black treacle
200g golden syrup
100g castor sugar
100g butter, cut into pieces
3 eggs
1T ground ginger
1t mixed spice
1t ground cinnamon
finely grated zest of 1 orange
450g plain flour
1t baking powder
1t bicarbonate of soda

Icing
150g butter, softened
175g sifted icing sugar
1T orange juice
100g plain chocolate

Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease a 29x22cm baking tin.
Heat the treacle, syrup, sugar and butter until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly. (at least 5 minutes. adding eggs to hot liquid will scramble them!)
Beat in the eggs, spices and orange zest.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarb. Add to the mixture and stir well.
Pour into the baking tin and bake at 170C for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

To make the icing, beat 100g of butter with 125g icing sugar. Add the orange. Slice the cake in half and sandwich to the two halves together with the icing.

To make the topping, melt 50g butter and the chocolate together in a double boiler. Add 50g icing sugar, stirring well. Pour over the top of the cake.