Fresh ginger coffee cake

by Dan Lepard

from The Guardian

The sharp peppery kick of fresh ginger root is a stupendous pairing with coffee. Do add finely chopped glace ginger or dried apricots to make it fruitier, if you like.

175g unsalted butter
75ml milk
1 tbsp ground coffee, not instant
2cm piece root ginger, finely grated
2 large eggs
225g caster sugar
100ml sunflower oil
100g chopped pistachios
275g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
200g cream cheese
finely grated zest of one lemon and 2 tsp juice
175g icing sugar

Line the base and sides of a 22cm square deep tray bake or cake tin with non-stick paper, and heat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/gas 4. Melt 50g butter then remove from the heat, stir in the milk, coffee and ginger and leave 5 minutes. Whisk the eggs and sugar until foamy and pale then beat in the oil and coffee mixture. Stir in 75g pistachios then fold in the flour and baking powder. Spoon into the tin and bake for about 30 – 35 minutes or until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Leave to cool then beat the remaining 125g butter until smooth and light then beat in the cream cheese, zest and juice. Stir in the icing sugar then beat well until smooth and light. Spread thickly over the top of the cold cake and decorate with the remaining pistachios.