Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Ginger & Pomegranate Sandwich Cake

  • Author: Rachel Phipps
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes (plus cooling time)
  • Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
  • Category: Baking
  • Cuisine: Christmas

Description

This light, bejewelled alternative to the classic Christmas cake is so simple to make for a winter afternoon tea – it is simply just a festive twist on the Victoria Sponge!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 175g (6 oz) Margarine (or Unsalted Butter, at room temperature)
  • 175g (6 oz) Golden Caster Sugar
  • 170g (6 oz, minus 1 tsp) Self-Raising Flour (America, this is how you make the flour)
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 2 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp Hot Water 
  • 300g (10.5 oz) Icing Sugar
  • 50g (2 oz) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
  • 120g (4.2 oz) Full Fat Cream Cheese, at room temperature
  • Zest of 1/4 Orange 
  • 1 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
  • Seeds of 1 Pomegranate 

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees (355 fahrenheit) and line two sandwich cake tins.
  2. Cream together the margarine and the caster sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth.
  3. Fold in the flour, ginger and cinnamon until everything is combined and there are no lumps.
  4. Stir in the hot water until smooth and divide the mixture between the two tins, if using two. Smooth out over the top, and shake the tins from side to side to remove air bubbles, but so that you don’t bash out all the air.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until you can insert a knife into the middle and it still comes out clean. 
  6. While the cakes are cooling (turn them out of the tin when they are cool enough to touch and onto a cooling wrack) make the cream cheese icing. Beat together the butter and icing sugar until they have created a sandy texture, and follow with the cream cheese until smooth. Add the orange zest and beat to combine.
  7. Once the sponges are completely cool you can assemble your sponge. Place one of the sponge halves on your serving plate. If you’ve sliced the sponge, do this crumb side down. Spoon just under half of the cream cheese icing on top and spread our evenly, just to the edges.
  8. Drizzle with 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses and sprinkle with just under half of the pomegranate seeds.
  9. Take the second sponge and spread a thin layer of icing onto the half you’re going to put directly down on the cake. This will stop the molasses seeping too much into the sponge. Gently place it on top, and spread the remaining icing out over the top. Drizzle with the remaining molasses, and sprinkle with the remaining pomegranate seeds.