I find lunch box cakes a bit of a challenge.
My daughter would love lush, moist chocolate cake in her lunch, but it just doesn't hold up all that well.
Lunch boxes sort of demand a more sturdy something, that can withstand the travel.
This one is pretty good. It doesn't need icing, it improves with age, and stays really moist.
You'll need:
3/4 cup water + 3 tablespoons milk powder OR 3/4 cup milk (I like to use the milk powder as it saves on milk)
6 tablespoons softened butter
3 cups plain flour (I use gluten free blend)
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
3/4 cup honey (rice malt syrup, golden syrup, and maple syrup work well too)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 egg, lightly beaten
Then just:
Preheat oven to 180C fan forced.
Grease a large loaf pan liberally, and dust with flour. Line the base with baking paper cut to size.
Heat the water and whisked milk powder mix, (or the milk), with the honey and butter, and warm till the butter melts. Set aside to cool slightly.
Sift the flour and spices together over the water-honey-butter mixture and stir through, then add the beaten egg and the brown sugar. Mix well.
Put the dough, and it will be more dough-like than a batter (this is what makes it a more sturdy cake), into the loaf pan. Smooth into the pan evenly.
Bake for up to 50 minutes. The cake is done when its springy in the middle.
Remove and cool in the pan.
Run a knife around the edges to release from the pan when cooled. Wrap in cling wrap when completely cold, and store in an airtight container.
This smells mouthwatering, and I have to hide it from my daughter, or she'd eat it for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.
Yummy.
