Fortnum and Mason Gingerbread with Prunes and Ale

A recent delicious bake from Tea at Fortnum and Mason was Gingerbread with Prunes and Ale.  The title of this recipe had me immediately - I adore ginger, gingerbread and prunes.  Ale I can take or leave, but I know that it gives a lovely rich flavour to baked goods.

This gingerbread is dense and moist, and the glaze adds a touch of sweetness to the soft, spicy cake beneath.  I loved this gingerbread, and would make it again in a heartbeat.

If you are tempted to make it, you will need:

100ml dark ale
100ml freshly brewed tea
75g chopped prunes
125g butter
125g dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons treacle (I used golden syrup)
250g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 beaten eggs
2 balls stem ginger, chopped

150g icing sugar
water sufficient to make an icing

Put the ale, tea and prunes in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, and leave to soak for 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 190°C. Grease a 20 cm square cake tin and line with baking paper.

Put the butter, sugar and treacle in a saucepan and melt over low heat. Allow to cool slightly.

Sift the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and cinnamon into a bowl, then add the butter mixture with the eggs, stem ginger, prunes and ale and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into the greased tin, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then unmould onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cake is completely cool, ice the cake with the prepared icing. Cut the gingerbread into pieces to serve. Enjoy!