Ginger Beer Bundt Cake

by 17 Comments

Ginger beer bundt cake

Serves 12

If you like ginger beer, then you will love this beautiful bundt cake! 

I remember when I first came to Australia and fell in love with the people, the landscape and of course, the food. It was all so delicious and so exotic, at least to me. My first Aussie food love will always be Caramello Koalas with Vegemite and Bundaberg Ginger Beer making my favourite food trifecta.

When we first moved down under, I drank Bundaberg ginger beer like it was going out of fashion and even to this day, if I say it chilled in store, I can’t resist a sneaky bottle. And just in case you’re wondering, this post is not sponsored, I’m just a massive fan girl!

When I was in San Fran I went on a Beer Walking Tour (yes, that’s totally a thing,) and some of my fellow tour mates were  non drinkers. Our host Adam, offered them a Bundaberg Ginger Beer instead, which I got ridiculously excited about. My American tour mates declared it a most delicious delicacy and I was full of Aussie pride (and American beer.) Fancy finding a little taste of Bundaberg in San Francisco!

Of course, if you want your bundt to pack a little more of a punch, you could use alcoholic ginger beer instead and if you can’t get your hands on a bottle of Bundaberg, use the best kind of ginger beer you can get your hands on instead.

This cake has the perfect combination of spices, that makes it taste oh, so festive, it’s like gingerbread, only lighter (in taste and texture)  and in bundt form. Now this cake is stand alone delicious, it goes great with a cuppa and makes an equally delicious dessert with a dollop of cream or ice cream. Of course, the salted caramel sauce is optional but let’s face it, who can say no to salted caramel? Not me! The sauce is super easy and takes the cake to  next level scrumptious! If you can, make the sauce a little bit ahead of time, to give it time to thicken in the most delicious fashion.

Oh and if you don’t have a bundt tin, you can make this in a 20cm deep square cake tin just bake it for a bit longer (50-55 minutes), or until a cake tester comes out clean and the cake is firm to the touch.

Let’s get our cake on, shall we?!

Tell me, what the most exotic thing you’ve ever tasted? Are you a fan of ginger beer too?

Ginger beer bundt cake 2

Ingredients

250ml Bundaberg ginger beer (open the top and leave overnight so that it loses the fizz)

175ml vegetable oil

100g brown sugar

150g (1/2 cup) treacle

150g  (1/2 cup) golden syrup

3 eggs

300g plain flour

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five spice

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinammon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

125g or 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons butter

100g or  1/2 cup   brown sugar

80g or 1/3 cup golden syrup

250g or 1 cup thickened cream

1/2 teaspoon salt flakes

Ginger beer bundt cake 3

How to – Traditional

    1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C  fan forced. Liberally brush your bundt tin with lots of melted butter and then dust with flour. Shake off the excess flour and set tin aside.
    2. Measure the oil, brown sugar, treacle and syrup into a bowl. If you’re using a cup measure, lightly oil it first so that the treacle and syrup slide out easily.
    3. Pour in the cider and crack in the eggs and beat until smooth.
    4. In another bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder, bicarb and spices and stir with a fork to combine.
    5. Add the dry ingredients to the dark, treacly, wet mixture beating as you go to make a smooth batter. Scrape the sides and base of bowl to incorporate all the flour.
    6. Pour the runny mixture into the bundt tin and bake for about .
    7. Place the tin on the preheated baking tray in oven and cook for about 45 minutes, but start checking after 40. The cake will is ready when it is risen, is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin and a cake tester in the centre of the cake comes out almost clean.
    8. Transfer the bundt to a wire rack for about 30 minutes, then use your fingers to encourage the cake to come out of the tin. Use your fingers to ease the cake away from the edges of the tin, especially around the funnel, and turn out.
    9. Leave to cool completely before wrapping, first in baking paper and then in foil, as it tastes even better the next day.
    10. TO MAKE THE SAUCE: In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugars and syrup, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 minutes, giving the pan a good swirl every now and then. Add the cream and salt flakes, and swirl again, then give it a stir with a wooden spoon and cook 1 minute more. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Ginger beer bundt cake 4

How to – Thermomix

    1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C  fan forced. Liberally brush your bundt tin with lots of melted butter and then dust with flour. Shake off the excess flour and set tin aside.
    2. Add cider, oil, sugar, treacle, golden syrup and eggs to TM bowl and mix for 20 seconds  on speed 4.
    3. Add the flour, baking powder, bicarb and spice and mix for 10 seconds  on speed 4.
    4. Pour the runny mixture into the bundt tin and bake for about .
    5. Place the tin on the preheated baking tray in oven and cook for about 45 minutes, but start checking after 40. The cake will is ready when it is risen, is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin and a cake tester in the centre of the cake comes out almost clean.
    6. Transfer the bundt to a wire rack for about 30 minutes, then use your fingers to encourage the cake to come out of the tin. Use your fingers to ease the cake away from the edges of the tin, especially around the funnel, and turn out.
    7. Leave to cool completely before wrapping, first in baking paper and then in foil, as it tastes even better the next day.
    8. TO MAKE THE SAUCE Place all ingredients in TM bowl and cook on Varoma speed 2  for 8-10 minutes  with the measuring cup off.  The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Ginger beer bundt cake 5

Other info

BUNDT TIN TIP! Grease the bundt tin really, really well. Lightly dust the inside of the tin with some sifted flour before pouring in the mixture to avoid sponge sabotage!

SAUCE: The sauce makes 2 cups and can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the sauce come to room temperature before gently warming in a saucepan.

MAKE AHEAD TIP! Make the cake, turn out and leave to cool. Wrap in baking paper and foil and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

FREEZE AHEAD TIP! The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.  Simply wrap it tightly in two layers of  cling film and one layer of foil. To defrost, unwrap, place on a wire rack and leave at room temperature for about 5 hours.