Ingredients
200g butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
140g stoned dates, chopped
410ml can evaporated milk
100g soft dark brown sugar
225g plain flour
3 tbsp malted milk powder (we used Horlicks)
2 tsp ground ginger
50g stem ginger, roughly chopped (reserve the syrup)
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 large eggs
50g stem ginger, chopped
5 tbsp ginger syrup (from the stem ginger jar)
5 tbsp icing sugar
Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. Put the dates, evaporated milk and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins until the dates are soft and the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool.
Put the flour, malted milk powder, ground ginger, stem ginger, bicarb and butter into a food processor, and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in the cooled date mixture and the eggs, and pulse briefly until the mixture is combined. Tip into your prepared tin and bake for 1 hr 15 mins until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack. Combine all the ingredients for the drizzle and spoon over the cake. Leave to set before serving. This cake is delicious if eaten on the day it is made, but will improve after a day or 2 in the cake tin.
