in the kitchen

I saw this gingerbread cake idea at Christmas timeyear and thought it sounded like a lovely thing to do.  Then Kelli made a gingerbread cake for bibe study group the other week and I am hooked.  i plan to do make mini loaves this Christmas to hand out to neighbours and friends.  I'll use "Kelli's Recipe".  :)
Kelli's Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup light olive oil
1 cup golden syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk

Icing
2 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
1 orange, rind finely grated, juiced
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Method
1.  Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 5cm deep, 21cm x 31cm (base) slab pan and line base and sides with baking paper.
2.  Sift flours, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and mixed spice into a large bowl. Add sugar and stir until well combined. Combine oil, golden syrup, egg and milk in a large jug. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
3.  Pour mixture into pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Make icing: Sift icing mixture into a large bowl. Add orange rind and 1/4 cup orange juice. Stir until smooth, adding 3 to 4 teaspoons warm water if too thick. Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle with walnuts. Allow icing to set before slicing cake and serving.

(This icing is great, but I have been using the Posie Gets Cozy sugar syrup of mixing icng sugar and milk and pouring over the cake)

And while I am sharing recipes, thsi sweet corn and chicken soup recipe is from my great-aunt and is SO easy and SO yummy!

Aunty Carol's Sweet Corn and Chicken Soup

2 x 400g tins Cambells Sweet Chicken Soup
2 x 400g tins creamed corn
1 x 400g corn kernals
1/2 bbq chicken from Woolworths or Kingsleys

Method
Combine chicken soup, creamed corn and corn kernals and heat.
When heated and ready to serve, add shredded cooked chicken.