A New Favourite: Salted Caramel & Stem Ginger Cake

Tags: cookery school, cooking classes, Italian cooking, learn to cook, pasta making

I’m a huge fan of Sticky Toffee Pudding, always searching for the ultimate recipe or trying it when I see it on a menu. I love our Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake recipe (which you can find a few pages back on our Blog) but I think this could possibly be even better!!

This soft and light golden syrup sponge includes subtle pieces of crystallised ginger in the mix, then the cake is drenched with homemade salted caramel sauce as it cools in the tin. Once cool, I sprinkle over with more ginger, the slight spiciness cuts through the sweetness of the cake.

The recipe for the salted caramel sauce has enough leftovers to drizzle over the slices of cake as you serve it with some whipped cream.

I dare you to try eat only one slice!!

Salted Caramel and Stem Ginger Cake pieces on a wooden plank.
Salted Caramel and Stem Ginger Cake pieces on a wooden plank.
Salted Caramel Ingredients:
  • 100g butter
  • 150g soft light brown sugar
  • 100ml double cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2tsp sea salt flakes
Cake Ingredients:
  • 175g butter, room temp
  • 125g soft light brown sugar
  • 75g golden syrup
  • 200g self-raising flour
  • 3 large free range eggs
  • 2 tblsp chopped crystallised ginger or ginger in syrup (plus extra for decorating)
  • Quantity of Salted Caramel sauce above
Method:
  1. First make the Salted Caramel Sauce by heating all the ingredients together gently in a small saucepan, stirring to make sure the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Allow to simmer gently for one minute then turn off heat. This can be made ahead of time and store in the fridge until you need it. It’s also great drizzled over icecream or in trifles.
  2. Preheat oven to 160C fan / 180 C regular and line a 25cm x 25cm square cake tin with baking parchment.
  3. Add the butter, sugar, golden syrup, flour, eggs and 100ml of the salted caramel sauce in your stand mixer or a large bowl and beat until well combined and no lumps. Stir in the chopped ginger.
  4. Smooth the mixture into the prepared tin then bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until it is golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack and pierce the top all over with a skewer. While the cake is still warm, drizzle the remaining salted caramel over the top of the cake then leave to cool completely in the tin. When cool, remove and cut into 16 squares.
  5. To serve decorate with any remaining chopped ginger and drizzle with a little salted caramel sauce and some cream.

"A Magical West Cork Escape"

We stayed at Dunowen House for a long weekend and genuinely didn’t want to leave. From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by the beauty of the house and its surroundings – the views, the gardens, the quiet… it’s pure magic. The house itself is full of character and history but still feels incredibly cosy and luxurious.

We loved having our morning coffee overlooking the sea and strolling down to the nearby coves. It was the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. Clonakilty is only a few minutes away too, so we had some lovely meals out and picked up bits from the local markets.

"A Dream Wedding Come to Life"

We were blown away with the unmatched beauty of Dunowen – the set- ting, the people and all the details make it come to life. We feel so blessed to have had our wedding here and so grateful for Kela and Stephen for making this the most special day of our lives. We are leaving a piece of our hearts here so we will absolutely have to come back again. All our love

"An Unforgettable Celebration of Love"

I could not have imagined a more beautiful stay and wedding. We took a chance and put our trust in Kela and Stephen, booking Dunowen sight un- seen! What a wonderful experience to celebrate our love with the people we care about most without having to worry about the details. The flow- ers, the food and the accommodations were unforgettable. Thank you for giving us the space to create lifetime memories! Dunowen will have a piece of our heart. We hope to come back and do it again!

"A Perfect Stay"

Kela and Stephen. Thank you for our wonderful stay at Dunowen House and letting us enjoy the beauty of West Cork in your wonderful home and surroundings. We absolutely loved it.

"Another Unforgettable Stay"

Thank you Kela & Stephen for another amazing stay. When you’ve stayed in Dunowen it’s impossible to stay elsewhere. Your house is per- fection!

"A Perfect 70th Celebration"

Many thanks Kela and Stephen for a wonderful stay at Dunowen House. The house is so spacious, especially for our smallish family group who helped me celebrate my 70th birthday. Thanks for the beautiful flowers throughout and all the home baking. We loved the location.

"Surrounded by Dunowen’s Gardens and Coastal Beauty"

Thank you for a wonderful week. Everything was perfect and we loved being able to walk to the beach and sit in the beautiful gardens. Hope to come again.

"A Perfect 80th Birthday Celebration"

The end of a fabulous week celebrating my 80th birthday. It has been a brilliant stay with everything we needed. Just perfect. Thank you so much Kela & Stephen for your thought and kindness. All the best for the future and perhaps we will see you again!

The Ultimate 5-Star Escape

Bravo! You have created the perfect backdrop for a 5 star vacation. Our group of 18 could not have imagined a more comfortable and luxe week. I’ll see you on Instagram and we will all see you again in person next va- cation.

Flowers and fruits cake close up Flowers and fruits cake close up