Let Her Eat Cake: Ginger Orange Florentine Cake

Ginger's a winner here at DSHQ: we've even got a round up of our very favourite zingy recipes. Since it's officially British Summer Time (don't say it too loud), here's a recipe that mixes our favourite warming spice with the fresher flavours of orange and almonds and a florentine inspired topping, just, you know, to lure Italy's weather a little bit closer...

Ginger Orange Florentine Cake

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes
You will need:
For the cake

• 240g self-raising flour 
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 
• 1 tbsp ground ginger 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon  
• 120g butter, cubed
• 100g golden caster sugar 
• 100g honey 
• 100g golden syrup 
• 1 tsp orange blossom extract 
• 200ml milk 
• Zest of 1 orange
• 50g mixed peel
• 1 free-range egg, beaten  

For the florentine topping:

• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp orange blossom extract
• 1 large orange, cut into small chunks
• Large handful flaked almonds, toasted (try not to skip this!)
• Large handful crystallised ginger, chopped
• Icing sugar, to decorate

Make it!
The cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm round, 7 cm deep cake tin. 
2. Place the flour, bicarbonate and spices in a large mixing bowl and stir together. Add the butter and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. 
3. Place the caster sugar, honey, golden syrup and orange blossom extract and milk in a saucepan and heat gently together until the sugar has dissolved. 
4. Pour onto the flour mixture and add the orange zest, mixed peel and beaten egg, stirring gently until all the flour is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. 
5. Bake for around 45 minutes until the top feels firm and a skewer comes out almost clean. 
6. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes.

For the topping:

1. Whilst still warm, prick some holes in the top of the cake with a skewer.
2. Place the caster sugar in a saucepan along with 4 tbsp water and the orange blossom extract.
3. Place over a medium heat and simmer until the consistency thickens. 
4. Drop the orange chunks, almonds and ginger into the syrup and stir around, simmering a little more until some of the liquid has reduced.
5. Spoon onto the top of the cake, arranging however you feel like. Decorate with icing sugar eat warm... oh my...