Chocolate gingerbread cake

• caster sugar↗150g g
• butter↗100g g

  soft, plus extra for the pan

• eggs↗4

  separated

• honey↗250g g
• spice for gingerbread↗1 tsp tsp
• wheat flour↗400g g
• baking powder↗½ tsp tsp
• chopped walnuts2 tbsp tbsp
• chopped almond1 tbsp tbsp
• candied orange↗2 tbsp tbsp

  finely sliced

• butter↗100g g
• caster sugar↗100g g
• cocoa↗2 tbsp tbsp
• cognac↗½-1 tbsp tbsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Place the sugar in a large bowl. Beat the soft butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the yolks one at a time, beating to combine. Then, while continuing to beat, add the honey, gingerbread spice and flour. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold them into the batter together with the baking powder, chopped walnuts, chopped almond and the finely sliced candied orange.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (convection 180 °C, gas 4). Butter and line with parchment a 900 g (2 lb) loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan – it should not rise higher than half the pan’s height. Place in the oven, lower the temperature to 170 °C (150 °C convection, gas 3) and bake for 50 min to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

3. 3

   For the glaze, melt the butter in a saucepan, add 2 tbsp cold water, sugar and cocoa. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and, while stirring, stir in the cognac. Brush the cooled gingerbread cake with the glaze and set to cool.