Preserved Ginger Cake

Its some time since I baked a cake for the weekend, as I've been baking yeasted buns most Fridays.  I just fancied something rather plain, and remembered a preserved ginger cake which I first baked many many years ago.  I must have baked this recipe over 20 times.  I used to  copy recipes from magazines and newspapers, onto cards, then file them in alphabetical order, that was before computers!  The card got so old and tatty, that a few years ago I rewrote it into my old cookery book.  Now that is starting to falling apart.

 I had always baked this cake it in a tin that was one size too small and it usually domed in the middle.  This time I used the Silverwood 8 inch tin which I had bought last year, it still had the labels on!  But using the right size tin for the recipe means you get the best results!

Its just like a Madeira Cake in texture, made with three eggs, but with chopped crystallized ginger in the cake.  For the icing I mix the icing sugar with grated lemon peel and some of the syrup from the preserved ginger which I slice and use for the top of the cake.  You can use the preserved ginger in the cake, but I only had a couple of large pieces left, which was not sufficient for the filling. It uses the all in one method, so it is just about the easiest cake to make.

This recipe is in ounces and I have digital weighing scales which you can switch around, so I like to keep to the old measurements as a bit of nostalgia.

5 generous sized pieces of preserved ginger
6 oz soft margarine, I use Pure
6 oz white caster sugar
8 oz plain flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
3 eggs

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, with a hand held mixer till well mixed.  Put the cake mixture in a lined 8 inch deep cake tin, and bake at Gas Mark 3 for about 1.5 Hrs.  I cover it with a pieces of baking parchment balanced above the paper collar, and take this off for the last 30 minutes.  Cool in the tin for about 10 mins before turning out onto a cooling rack.

When cold decorate with an icing made from 4 oz icing sugar, a little ginger syrup, some grated lemon peel too if you have some.  Decorate with more preserved ginger.