Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients (serves 24)

• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 3/4 cup self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup light olive oil
• 1 cup golden syrup
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup milk

• Icing

• 2 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
• 1 orange, rind finely grated, juiced
• 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 5cm deep, 21cm x 31cm (base) slab pan and line base and sides with baking paper.
2. Sift flours, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and mixed spice into a large bowl. Add sugar and stir until well combined. Combine oil, golden syrup, egg and milk in a large jug. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
3. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Make icing: Sift icing mixture into a large bowl. Add orange rind and 1/4 cup orange juice. Stir until smooth, adding 3 to 4 teaspoons warm water if too thick. Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle with walnuts. Allow icing to set before slicing cake and serving.