Luscious Ginger Layer Cake

Luscious Ginger Layer Cake

Makes: 1 triple layer cake
Preparation: 45 minutes
Cooking: 45 minutes

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 tablespoon treacle
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
½ cup (75g) cornflour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon ground ginger

Spiced meringue
1 egg white
¼ cup caster sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Honeycomb cream
250g cream cheese
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
300ml cream, whipped to soft peaks
2 bars (100g) chocolate honeycomb, finely chopped

Chocolate olive oil ganache
100g dark chocolate
100ml cream
50ml olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. For spiced meringue, whip egg white to soft peaks. Gradually add caster sugar, one tablespoon at a time and continue beating until the sugar dissolves.  Add spices and whip for another few seconds until combined.  Spread onto prepared tray to approximately 1cm thick and bake for 45 minutes or until crisp and dry.  Cool on a wire rack.
3. Increase oven temperature to 180 ‘C and line the base and sides of three 19cm cake tins with baking paper.
4. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and treacle for 5 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Sift self raising flour, cornflour, cocoa and ginger over egg mixture and gently fold in.  Divide mixture evenly between the three prepared cake tins and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.  Cool cakes on a wire rack.
5. For honeycomb cream, beat cream cheese, honey and salt until light and fluffy. Fold in cream and chopped chocolate honeycomb bars.
6. For chocolate olive oil ganache, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook, over low heat, for 3 minutes stirring from time o time until smooth and glossy. Pour into a jug and set aside to cool and thicken slightly.
7. To serve, place one of the cake layers on a serving plate, top with half honeycomb filling, another cake, remaining honeycomb filling and finally remaining cake. Pour over chocolate olive oil ganache, allowing it to drip decoratively down the sides of the cake.  Crumble spiced meringue and sprinkle generously over the cake.