Another batch of cookies

Verdict: Guinness gingerbread cake

In the end, I was bothered enough to make custard, but not patient enough. In cooking off the custard to thicken it, I heated it a little bit too quickly and ended up scrambling the eggs. D'oh! Never mind - Instant custard to the rescue!

Anyway, the cake: Pretty good actually. I liked the slight bitterness from the Guinness and the overall flavour was really good. Texture was just like a moist sponge cake really, and the crust was beautifully crisp but not hard, so all in all a decent success I'd say. Pity about the custard...

Guinness gingerbread cake

Salva, Kenny and I are having Noel and Helen over for lunch in a bit. We agreed to share out cooking between the three of us - so Kenny is doing a starter, Salva is doing the main (a paella which smells fantastic and is making me so hungry!) and I'm doing the dessert. I've been wanting to try out a recipe I saw for Guinness Gingerbread, so I thought this would be a good opportunity. The recipe is quite American, so I've adapted it slightly...

Guinness Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients

• 160ml Guinness
• 240g Plain flour
• 2 tbsp Cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• (Generous) 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• (Generous) 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Large dash of ground nutmeg
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 90g Caster sugar
• 85g Dark soft brown sugar
• 115g Honey
• 180ml (=145g) Light olive oil
  

Method

1. Bring the Guinness to a simmer and then remove from the heat.
2. Whisk the eggs, vanilla extract, sugar (both caster and brown) and honey together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Whisk the olive oil in to the mixture.
4. Add the Guinness and the remaining dry ingredients a little at a time, alternating dry ingredients and stout, whisking gently.
5. Pour into a lined cake tin and bake at 180C/Gas mark 4 for 50-60 minutes. Check with a skewer.

Here's the cake fresh out of the oven:
And removed from the tin:
I was planning to serve this up with Crème Anglaise (a light custard) too:
Crème Anglaise
Ingredients

• 290ml Milk
• Few drops of vanilla extract
• 2 Egg yolks
• 1 tbsp Caster sugar
  

Method

1. Heat the milk and bring slowly to the boil.
2. Beat the egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar.
3. Pour the milk onto the egg yolks, stirring steadily. Mix well and return to the pan.
4. Stir over a low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not boil.
   
5. Strain into a chilled bowl.
6. Add the vanilla extract and stir in.

I'm not actually certain I can be bothered to make the custard - we'll see!