A favourite weekend excursion is to hop onto the District Line for 20 minutes and head out to Richmond. Once there we wander along the river, have tea at the Petersham Nurseries, or Ham House, catch Hammerton”s foot ferry over the river and walk back to Richmond past Marble Hill House.
When E was at university and for his first years in London he was a keen (and very good) rower so he always likes to watch the crews on the water, and for me a trip to Richmond means a trip to Kooks Unlimited and William Curley. As I am a life member of the National Trust, an investment I wisely made in my early teens with money my grandparents left me, admission to Ham House is free, so I feel that I am allowed to spend the money I have “saved” in Kooks Unlimited or on chocolate. I am aware that my logic is somewhat flawed, but this does not overly distress me, and after my last Richmond excursion I returned with a bundt tin and a rather dangerous looking “injection” piping nozzle for filling choux buns and doughnuts.
My lovely new tin is the perfect size for a 5 egg sponge, or for my Easy Peasy Ginger Cake (which is also the most popular recipe on my website). I adapted the recipe very slightly adding finely chopped Thai Ginger and dried mango from Senses of Thailand at Selfridge’s earlier in the summer. The darker patches on the cake are lump of sugar that had not mixed in properly.
Bundt perfection was enabled by Dr Oetker’s rather wonderful cake release spray, a quick spray into the tin and when done the cake literally falls out. I was very impressed and will definitely buy more when my can runs out.
Easy Peasey Thai Ginger Cake
Ingredients
- 350 g Plain Flour
- 225 g Sugar (I use soft dark brown for colour and flavour but any would work)
- 100 g Cooking oil (Sunflower or rape/canola)
- 2-3 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Pinch salt
- 60 g treacle
- 225 ml boiling water
- 2 tbs finely chopped dried mango
- 2 tbs finely chopped candied Thai ginger
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into the food processor bowl and whizz until you have a smooth golden brown batter, or use an electric whisk. Pour the batter into your bundt tin and cook at GM4/180C for about 45 - 55 mins until risen and a cocktail stick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Notes
Dr Oetker Cake Release Spray is available from Sainsbury’s and cook shops for about £1.40 for 125ml which should grease about 30 8″ tins.
Thank you to Dr Oetker for my cake release sample.
C
I love the idea of that dark treacly ginger cake – yum! I love my bundt tin, but have to remember not to use too many add-ins because I often find they sink to the bottom and stop the cake turning out properly. Yours looks perfect.
Helen
I make that cake at least once per month. As it is vegan it is perfect for parties etc where people may have allergies. Also it only uses storecupboard ingredients.
Kelly
I love Richmond! I lived up on the hill when I first moved to London. When I go back to reminisce I like to go to the Richmond Tea Box for a scone and then over to the Kooks Unlimited. I’m so glad they opened a second store next door dedicated to baking supplies :)
Helen
Fab isn’t it? I can spend hours on there. When I bought the tin i tweeted a photo and someone knew where I had been from the blue price sticker.
sarah, simply cooked
Oh, sounds lovely with the ginger and mango! What is in cake release spray?
Helen
The Dr Oetker spray one has:
Vegetable Oil (Rape seed, palm, Shea)
Carnauba Wax
Sunflower Lecitin
Propellent
There is also one made by Wilton, that is a gel that you spread round the pan with a brush that contains
Soybean oil
Corn starch
Thickeners (E471)
Soy Lecithin
Mixed Tocopherols (which is vitamin E)
Becuase of the E471 the Wilton one may not be vegetarian.
The Dr Oteker one costs £1.40 and does 30 tins and the Wilton (as yet untested) over £4 and will do 15 tins.
sarah, simply cooked
Helen, thanks so much for your detailed reply. What an inventive product! I suppose it really does work better than greasing and flouring. Bundt cakes can be so awkward in that respect.
the caked crusader
Every cake looks better in bundt tin, I am convinced of this! YOur ginger cake looks drool inducing – it’s dark and everything a ginger cake should be!
Alissa - Not Just Apples
That looks so perfect! I love the stickiness of a ginger cake, and how it always seems to taste better and better each slice you eat…
Choclette
That’s a great vegan recipe and it looks beautiful in your bundt tin. It’s been many a year since I went to Richmond and I never came back with either chocolate or a wonderful cake tin, but I did always enjoy the walk in the park.
Nic
What a great way to spend the weekend, especially if the weather holds up.
Not surprised that the cake is one of your most popular recipes, looks very moist and delicious!
Angie
Love love love Ginger cake
Jacqueline
Oh, I’ll have to make that for Graham x