Ginger loaf cake with coconut caramel

For a tasty cake for your Bonfire Night festivities, this ginger loaf – drizzled with coconut caramel – fits the bill. Deliciously moreish, you’d never guess that it’s a healthier choice – it’s sweetened with maple syrup, apple, spices and coconut sugar rather than refined sugars.

Makes: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 220g butter
• 100g maple syrup *
• 250g plain flour *
• 1 tsp cinnamon *
• 1 tsp ground ginger *
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• 1 stem ginger piece, finely chopped

For the coconut caramel:

• 80g coconut sugar *
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract *
• 100ml coconut cream

* Available at Holland & Barrett

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan, and grease and line a 900g loaf tin.

Step 2
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and maple syrup. It may seem to separate a little initially but keep beating and it will come back together.

Step 3
Stir in the flour, spices, baking powder, eggs and milk, and beat until all combined.

Step 4
Fold through the diced apple and stem ginger and then pour into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Step 5
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Remove it and cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 6
When the cake is cool, make the caramel. First, place the coconut sugar with 2 tbsp water in a saucepan with the salt and vanilla extract.

Step 7
Dissolve the sugar on a low heat and then bring to a rolling boil until the mixture has thickened to a sticky caramel. You can test this by drizzling a little on a plate and seeing if it runs or sticks.

Step 8
Once it is ready, pour in the coconut cream and mix well to combine.

Step 9
Allow to cool for 5 minutes to thicken even more and then use a spoon to drizzle over the cake. Serve in large slices.

Coconut