Jamaican ginger beer & pineapple bundt cake

• vegetable oil↗225ml ml

  plus extra for greasing

• full-fat milk↗75ml ml
• molasses↗3 tbsp tbsp
• plain flour↗375g g
• baking powder↗1 tbsp tbsp
• bicarbonate of soda↗1 tsp tsp
• dark muscovado sugar↗300g g
• ground ginger↗1 ½ tsp tsp
• ground cinnamon↗1 tsp tsp
• ground allspice½ tsp tsp
• buttermilk↗300ml ml
• ginger beer100ml ml

  (we used Old Jamaica)

• large eggs↗3
• can pineapple rings↗227g g

  in juice, drained and chopped into small chunks (reserve the juice for the glaze)

• liquid molasses↗4 tbsp tbsp
• icing sugar↗200g
• pineapple juice↗

  (from above)

• dried or glacé pineapple5 rings of
• crystallised ginger↗

  to decorate

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and brush with oil the inside of a 2.4‑litre non‑stick bundt tin. Make sure you get into any corners to ensure the cake doesn’t stick. Pour the milk and molasses into a pan and heat gently, whisking until the molasses has melted, then set aside to cool a little. Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb, sugar, spices and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Shake the bowl a few times so any lumps of sugar come to the surface and squeeze through your fingers.

2. 2

   In a jug, mix the oil, buttermilk, ginger beer and eggs. Add the cooled molasses mixture and whisk again, then pour into the dry ingredients, along with the chopped pineapple. Stir everything to combine, then scrape into the tin. Bake for 1 hr until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If not, return to the oven for another 10 mins and check again. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then very carefully turn out onto a wire rack.

3. 3

   For the glaze, combine the molasses, icing sugar and pineapple juice in a saucepan and set over a low heat. Whisk until smooth and glossy, then brush generously all over the cooling cake, allowing it to soak in. To serve, top with the glacé pineapple (hold in place with halved cocktail sticks, if you like), and crystallised ginger. Will keep well in an airtight container for five days.