Ginger and Plum Bundt Cake

So my friends were hosting a Chinese night, and as is now customary, I was tasked with baking a themed bundt. After several horrific suggestions from the group (including sweet and sour and prawn cracker flavours), I decided on plum and ginger. It's still Chinese inspired, but not rank! Fish flavoured cakes are out.

The addition of a jam layer ensures a very moist cake, which is sweet and spicy in equal measure. I can highly recommend ditching the lychee vodka and plum wine which may have been thrust into your hand, and replacing it with a nice cup of tea. I found this combination particularly pleasing at 2am. There ain't no party like a 'cup of tea and a bundt' party...

Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 450g golden caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 350g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tap ground ginger
• 250ml plain yoghurt
• About 6 tbsp plum jam

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray and dust with flour. 
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the extract.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ginger. 
7. Pour the yoghurt into a jug.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt. 
9. Repeat this until everything is combined. 
10. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
11. Remove a heaped teaspoon of the batter and mix with the plum jam. Note: this jam is quite loose therefore needs a little help with texture. The batter will stop it sinking. 
12. Pour half the mix into your prepared tin. 
13. Smear over the jam mix- you want a thin, even layer.
14. Cover with the rest of the batter. 
15. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
16. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.  
17. When fully cool, decorate to your heart's content. Mine just so happens to be Chinese themed, but this is obviously not essential! 

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