I have made this cake around Christmas for the last few years because it combines 2 of Ralph's most favorite things...chocloate and gingerbread. It is really good...I mean REALLY good!!
Chocolate Gingerbread
Feast by Nigella Lawson
Cake
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 TBS dark brown sugar
2 TBS superfine sugar
3/4 cup golden syrup or light corn syrup
3/4 cup black trectale or molasses
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 TBS warm water
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
6 oz package or 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Frosting
2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 TBS unsalted butter
1 TBS unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup ginger ale
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and tear off a big piece of parchment paper to line the bottom and sides of a roasing pan, 12 X 8 X 2.
In a suacepan melt the butter along with the sugars, golden syrup, trectale or molasses, cloves, cinnamon, and ground ginger. In a cup dissolve the baking soda in water. Add the milk and lightly beat eggs and mix well. Stir in the flour and cocoa and beat with a wooden spoon to mix. Fold in the chocolate chips, pour into the lined pan and bake for about 45 minutes until risen and firm. It will be slightly damp underneath the set top and that's the way you want it.
Remove to a wire rack and let cool in the pan. Once cool, get on with the frosting.
Sift the cofectioner's sugar. In a heavy-based sauce pan heat the butter, cocoa and ginger ale. Once the butter's melted, whisk in the confectioner's sugar. Lift the gingerbread out of the pan and unwrap the paper. Pour over the frsoting just to cover the top and cut into fat slabes when set.
Kitchen Notes
-I have made this in two smaller pans. One to keep and one to give away. Otherwise, I just eat too much of this super yummy cake. If you do this, just reduce the cooking time a bit.
-I don't know if I have ever used the parchment and it aleays comes out just fine. I just pour the frosting over right in the pan.