Fresh ginger cake by David Lebovitz

Fresh ginger cake recipe | Life and style | theguardian.com:
Makes one 23-cm cake; 10 to 12 servings

115g piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
250ml golden syrup
200g sugar
250ml vegetable oil
350g plain flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
250ml water
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 180C (gas mark 4). Butter the bottom and sides of a 23cm springform or round cake tin with 5cm sides and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or with a chef's knife, chop the ginger until very fine. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the golden syrup, sugar, and oil. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper.

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Whisk the hot water into the golden syrup mixture, then add the chopped ginger.

Gradually sift the flour mixture over the golden syrup mixture, whisking to combine. Add the eggs and whisk until thoroughly blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared springform or cake tin and bake until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger or a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 1 hour. Leave to cool completely.

Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the tin. Invert the cake onto a plate, peel off the parchment paper, then re-invert it onto a serving platter.

Serving: Serve wedges of this cake with whipped cream, a favourite ice cream, or a fruit compote.

Storage: Because this cake is so moist, it keeps well for up to 5 days at room temperature. It can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Variation: My favourite complement for this cake is a whipped cream–lightened lemon curd filling.

Another idea is a plum-raspberry compote: slice 8 stoned plums into 6 wedges. In a medium saucepan, heat 50 g sugar, 250 ml water, and half of a vanilla pod, split lengthways. Add the plum wedges and simmer over low heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add 170g raspberries and 1 tablespoon kirsch (optional), and leave to stand for 1 hour. Before serving, remove the vanilla pod (it can be rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose).
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