Cake, you guys. CAKE. When was the last time you made a cake just so you could have some cake?  Too often we remain bound by the cake gift economy, where cake is something you yourself make in your own kitchen to share with someone else. We willingly bust out the bowls and butter and mixer for friend's birthdays, housewarmings, office morning teas, but when it comes to personal consumption? Not a chance.

I'll admit that a big, buttery iced cake is a bit much for everyday, but there are so many other, homelier, plainer cakes that just want to hang out. They don't want no small talk, no office politics, they won't abandon you in a corner with someone's cousin, and they certainly don't want anyone to exclaim over how great they are. They just want to be there for you when you get home of an evening, maybe watch a little teevee, have a cup of tea.  These are the cake underdogs, the ones you overlook when flipping through a recipe book or scrolling listlessly through a recipe blog.

This is one of those cakes, tender with molasses and fresh ginger and less butter than you'd think. Barely sweet, you could toast it if you felt so inclined, and it keeps well for a few days in an airtight tin. And the best thing about spiced cakes like these is the flavour really does improve, so don't feel compelled to consume it all at once.  At-home tea-time cakes really are best made in loaf tins, for easy slicing and keeping purposes, but of course use whatever kind of tin you have on hand.  

Ginger cake
Via the Rose Bakery cookbook. Serves, well, you.

  •   75g butter, softened
  •   3/4 cup plain flour
  •   2/3 cup wholemeal flour
  •   1 tsp baking powder
  •   1 tsp ground cinnamon
  •   Fat pinch each of cayenne pepper, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom
  •   2 rounded tbsp grated fresh ginger
  •   2 rounded tbsp ground ginger
  •   Pinch of salt
  •   1/3 cup brown sugar
  •   2 tbsp honey, golden syrup or agave nectar
  •   2 tbsp molasses
  •   3/4 tsp bicarb
  •   2 eggs, beaten

Bear with me: Rose Carrarini advises a rather eccentric, bowl-heavy method for assembling this cake, and since she is, well, Rose Carrarini I followed it. Start by preheating the oven to 180 degrees C. Hit a 25cm loaf tin with a spray of oil and line the bottom with baking paper. Set aside.

Take your largest bowl and beat together the butter, sugar, honey or otherwise, and fresh ginger. Take your medium bowl and whisk or sift together flours, spices and salt. In your small bowl beat the molasses with 1/2 tsp of the bicarb, then beat it into the butter mixture.

In a jug combine the remaining 1/4 tsp bicarb with 3/4 cup of boiling water. Pour it into the butter mixture, mix well.  Add the dry ingredients and fold to combine, then mix in the eggs.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes or so until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake completely on a wire rack before turning it out.