Ginger Baker Creams

A post about Ginger Baker will hardly come as a shock. Even as a member of Cream, he was really asking for it, but with a name – and a career – like his, it's only right to have a whole post to himself.

Baker's unique style undeniably shaped the emerging sound of heavy metal drumming, fusing modern jazz techniques with a passionate, intense and at times aggressive diversion from the world of 60s 4/4 pop. The influence of Ginger's work with Cream and Blind Faith can be heard in the music of greats such as John Bonham and Bill Ward; but his reputation as one of the first 'wild men of rock' has also endured. Several solo albums, wives, tax evasions and years of serious addiction to the brown stuff later, Ginger now lives the life of a recluse in South Africa. But if the recent documentary Beware of Mr Baker is anything to go by, he's not lost any of that notoriously fiery attitude. 

So how can baking represent a man of such magnitude?

In the land of biscuits – and drums – quite simply, two are better than one, as the sound of Baker's double bass drum set up will testify. Although fresh cream might have been a more suitable filling, I've gone with a rich white chocolate buttercream. As for the biscuits themselves, they are inevitably packed full of ginger, with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon to offset the sweet filling, and given a more chewy texture by the addition of rolled oats. 

A Ginger Baker, whichever way you look at it, is a creature of some pretty impressive substance. 

Ginger Bakers

(Makes 16)

• vegetable oil  160ml
• golden caster sugar  200g
• egg  1 large
• black treacle  3½ tbsp
• plain flour  200g
• rolled oats  200g
• bicarbonate of soda  2 tsp
• ground cinnamon  1 tsp
• ground ginger  2 tsp
• ground cloves ½ tsp
• soft light brown sugar  2 tbsp
• white chocolate  100g
• unsalted butter 140g, softened
• icing sugar  140g

1. Heat the oven to 180C/gas 6. Mix the oil and sugar, add the egg, stir to combine then  add the black treacle, plain flour, oats, bicarbonate of soda and the spices. 
2. Mix to a firm dough, then divide into roughly 32 pieces, depending on how small or large you want the biscuits to be. Roll into balls, then flatten into circles on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with soft light brown sugar then bake for 10-12 minutes until a dark golden colour, then cool on a wire rack. 
3. While the biscuits are cooling, make the buttercream. Melt the white chocolate over a pan of simmering water, then cool a little. With mix the butter and sugar with electric beaters (adding the sugar bit by bit), then slowly incorporate the white chocolate. 
4. Assemble the biscuits by piping buttercream around the outer edge of one, then sandwiching with another biscuit. 

Could fill spoons full of coffee...

...Could fill spoons full of tea...

...Just a little spoon of your precious love, is that enough for me?

Alice Cooper: Feed My Frankenstein

It's not just Halloween; it's Alice Cooper's Halloween Night of Fear at London's O2 Arena. Clearly, I'm not there, so instead, I've decided to list a few reasons as to why Alice Cooper and Kick Out the Jams were destined to meet:

• Welcome to my Nightmare is one of the best concept albums of the seventies (he was competing with the likes of Floyd, Bowie and The Who at the time… so that's some pretty stiff competition).
• Poison is my karaoke song.
• He is Dave Mustaine of Megadeth's godfather.
• His appearance in Wayne's World cements it as it is one of my favourite comedy films ever.
• Most of my baking is done while listening to podcasts of Nights With Alice Cooper.
• He's the golfing buddy of Thin Lizzy's incredible guitarist, Scott Gorham. 

And if I wasn't so into the huge scope of heavy metal theatrics, I wouldn't be writing this blog.

With that in mind, I present:

Feed My Frankenstein

(Makes three cakes, enough to serve between 30-35. I used topsy turvy tins)  

RED VELVET CAKE (bottom cake)

• unsalted butter  350g, softened
• golden caster sugar  350g
• eggs  6, beaten
• plain flour  100g
• self-raising flour  280g 
• cocoa powder  40g
• whole milk  2-4 tbsp
• red gel food colouring  1 tube, or 3-4 tbsp red food colouring

CARDAMOM AND ORANGE MARBLE CAKE (middle cake)

• unsalted butter  225g, softened
• golden caster sugar  225g 
• eggs  4
• self-raising flour  250g
• orange essence  2 tbsp
• orange  1, zested
• whole milk  1 tbsp
• ground cardamom  1½ tbsp
• green gel food colouring   a few drops (you can make more 'green' if you want, I added a few drops to achieve a 'cardamom' colour

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE (top cake; adapted from David Lebovitz)

• cocoa  9 tbsp
• plain flour  200g 
• salt  ½ tsp 
• bicarbonate of soda  1 tsp
• baking powder  ¼ tsp
• unsalted butter  115g, at room temperature
• granulated sugar  200g
• eggs  2 
• strong, cold coffee  120ml 
• whole milk  120ml

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

•  unsalted butter 750g, at room temp
•  icing sugar  400g
•  royal icing sugar  350g
•  vanilla extract  2 tbsp, or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• dark chocolate  150g
• black gel food colouring  a few drops 
• double cream  200ml

1. For the red velvet cake, Heat oven to 160C/gas 5, then butter and line the base of a 25cm tin. Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, then gradually add in the eggs. Fold in the flours, cocoa and a pinch of salt, followed by the milk and red gel colour.
2. Spoon into the tin and bake for an hour or so, until risen and a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
3. For the cardamom and orange marble cake, heat oven to 180C/gas 4. Butter and line the base of a 20cm tin. Beat the butter and sugar, then gradually add the eggs. Mix in  the flour, milk and vanilla extract.
4. Divide the mixture between two bowls. Stir the orange essence and orange zest into the mixture in one of the bowls, and the ground cardamom and green gel colour into the other. Drop the orange and cardamom mixtures into the tin alternately – do not try to spread or swirl the mixes, they will do it by themselves as you continue to add.  
5. Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
6. For the devil's food cake, heat the oven to 180C/gas 6 then butter and line a 15cm tin. 
7. Sift the cocoa, flour, salt, bicarb of soda and baking powder into a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes until light and creamy, then gradually add the eggs.
8. Mix the coffee and milk, then stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then add the coffee and milk and stir in the rest of the dry ingredients.
9. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. 
10. To make the buttercream, mix the icing sugars then gradually beat into the butter with the vanilla extract using an electric whisk, trying as you go to make sure the balance of butter and sugar tastes right. 
11. To assemble the cake, cut off any uneven tops on the cakes then stack in order of size, spreading a little buttercream on each one to stick together. Coat the top and sides with the buttercream using a palette knife. You'll need to dip the knife in hot water every now and again to make the icing is as smooth as possible. 
12. To make the ganache, melt the chocolate over simmering water, then add the gel colour and cream, until a thick but still pourable consistency. Spoon a puddle onto the top of the cake, then gently push out to the sides to create dribbles. You might need to use a teaspoon for this, or start the dribble from the top, adding more ganache as you go so it runs down the length of the cake.

Hungry for love... (or cake?)

...and it's feeding time.