Last week I rang the dentist just before they were about to close for the day and told them my wisdom tooth was causing me issues. It had been scheduled to be taken out in a couple of months but it’s continued growth was irritating my mouth.
‘Leave it with me,’ the receptionist said, ‘I’ll chat to the dentist and call you back on Monday.’
Great, I thought, and crossed ‘contact dentist’ off my to-do list. A short while later, there I was, sitting at my laptop creating a mini-film for Instagram stories, when my phone rang.
‘The dentist will take it out for you right now,’ I was informed.
My stomach dropped and my knees started knocking. I get extremely anxious about the dentist. But, just over an hour later I was wisdom tooth-less and on my way home. I was a bit emotional as the anxiety left my body but the actual procedure was utterly pain free and took five minutes. And the nurse held my hand.
Naturally I’m on painkillers as I write this, and taking it easy has been prescribed, but I fancied baking a ginger cake for comfort. It’s got an orange icing and, if I may say so myself, it’s utterly delicious. Both the act of baking, the scent filling the house and the eating has done the job.
(The last time I went to the dentist I made date & walnut scones. It's becoming a bit of a tradition.)
Recipe for Ginger Cake
Equipment
Small saucepan, mixing spoon, whisk and bowl, 2lb loaf tin and liner.
Ingredients
- 125g butter
- 125g black treacle
- 75g golden syrup
- 50g soft brown sugar
- 3 heaped tsp ground ginger
- 2 heaped tsp mixed spice
- 225g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of salt
- 150ml milk
- 2 large eggs
For the icing
- 5 heaped tablespoons icing sugar
- enough orange juice to make a stiff paste
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 140 fan.
- Weigh the butter, treacle, syrup, sugar, ginger and mixed spice into a small saucepan. Heat gently until the butter and sugar have melted.
- Weigh out the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Give it a whisk to ensure its evenly distributed.
- Add the syrupy mixture to the flour. Whisk to ensure all lumps of flour have gone.
- Beat two eggs in with the milk. Add to the cake mixture making sure it is well combined.
- Pour into your lined tin and place in the oven for 45-55 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin.
- Once cooled, take off the paper liner and return back to the tin.
- Cover in the icing and allow to set.
