Ruby Bhogal’s vegan sticky Jamaican ginger cake recipe

“The major change in this recipe is the egg replacement (shocking news, there is none) and substituting the soured cream,” former Bake Off finalist Ruby Bhogal says of how she adapted this recipe to be plant-based.

“For that, I have offered up a suggestion that will give you that dense, incredibly moist and tender crumb.

“The best thing about this sponge is you still get that same sticky texture and spiced flavour, but without all the faff of having to work the air into the butter and sugar. Work smarter, not harder.”

Plant-based sticky Jamaican ginger cake with butterscotch sauce and orange cream

Ingredients:

(Serves 10-12)

For the sponge:

200ml soy milk

1tbsp cider vinegar

260g plant-based unsalted butter

210g dark soft brown sugar

100g golden syrup

100g black treacle

1½tsp vanilla bean paste

4 pieces preserved stem ginger, finely diced, plus some syrup from the jar for brushing

400g self-raising flour, sifted

¼tsp bicarbonate of soda

2tbsp ground ginger

1½tbsp ground cinnamon

For the butterscotch filling:

150ml plant-based double cream

75g light soft brown sugar

40g plant-based salted butter, cubed

1tsp cornflour, sifted

Pinch of sea salt

For the whipped cream cheese frosting:

250g plant-based cream cheese

50g caster sugar

Grated zest of 3 large oranges

400ml plant-based double cream

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C fan/170°C/gas mark 3.

2. Add the soy milk and cider vinegar to a bowl and leave to sit for 10 minutes until lightly curdled. In the meantime, add the butter, sugar, golden syrup, treacle and vanilla bean paste to a saucepan and gently heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. We don’t want this boiled, so take it low and slow. Remove from the heat and add the stem ginger. Give it all a good mix and set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a balloon whisk. Pour in the cooled butter mix and the curdled soy milk, and mix until smooth. Divide the cake batter evenly amongst the three prepared tins. Pop in the oven and bake for 26-28 minutes until the sponge is coming away from the sides of the tins and a cocktail stick poked into the middle comes out clean.

4. Leave in the tins for five minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Leave to cool for 30 minutes before wrapping in clingfilm to cool completely. While the cakes are cooling, make the butterscotch filling. In a saucepan, add the cream, light brown sugar, butter and cornflour.

5. Cook over a gentle medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, the butter has melted, and the liquid begins to bubble. Take off the heat, add the sea salt (just a tiny pinch!) and give it a mix before transferring to a bowl to cool. Once cooled, pop the bowl into the fridge to firm up, which makes it easier when stacking the sponges.

6. Let’s get the frosting made. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla bean paste and orange zest. Mix using the whisk attachment until smooth. Pour in the double cream and mix on a slow-medium speed until the cream nearly hits stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag and place in the fridge for at least 30-45 minutes before using.

7. Once the sponges are cool, trim off any domed tops with a serrated knife before using a pastry brush to brush the tops of each sponge with syrup from the stem ginger jar.

8. Now it’s time to construct the cake by placing one sponge onto your serving board (you can use some cream here to glue the sponge to your serving plate). Pipe an even layer of cream over the sponge before using the back of a spoon to create a dip in the middle to add a generous slathering of the butterscotch filling. Repeat with the remaining sponges before covering the entire cake with the remaining cream. You can go as fancy as you like with the decoration or opt for a naked finish.

One Bake, Two Ways: 50 Crowd-Pleasing Bakes With An All-Plant Option Every Time by Ruby Bhogal is published by Pavilion Books, priced £26. Photography by Matt Russell. Available now.