For me one of the biggest downsides of a blog is you come to realise how repetitive life is.  How many obsessions you have (like for Ginger Cakes)  and dare I say it how boring this can all be to other people.   Since my blog readership is pretty much restricted to a few members of my family and ex-pat kindred spirit I’m OK with my human frailties on display.  Although it can be a little unnerving when one of my work clients greets me with a mention of my latest recipe or ask whether Fortnum and Mason are getting all the treats they need.

The upsides of blogging are plentiful.  It’s a great way of keeping in touch with loved ones far away and keeping a journal for yourself.  Very modern don’t you think.  Certainly sharing recipes is the next best thing to having people share your baking for real.  And this is one recipe that most definitely should be shared.  I kid myself that with “Wholemeal” and “Ginger” in the title is fabulously healthy.  Which of course it is – not!

But don’t let that hold you back.  If you like to live life in the fast line this is most definitely a baking treat for you.  And even if you’re generally a slow lane person and just want a pick me up there is no doubt that you’ll be full of zing and energy that you’ll never want to let go.  Which leads me to a warning – this cake has the serious potential to ruin any notions you may have of controlled eating.  The antidote is simple – small quantities savoured – and then go run around the block.

This is a spin on the classic New Zealand Slice – Wholewheat Ginger Crunch, courtesy of my Treasury of New Zealand Baking.  The Recipe is a Jo Segar one so  I was pretty confident that it would be a sound approach to our weekend afternoon treat.  As it turned out it was most definitely simple to make albeit a bit fiddly mucking around with copious amounts of golden syrup.

But I didn’t such stickiness put me off.  Just start with the easy stuff – weighing everything out.  Flour, sugar, oats, coconut etc etc.  Like this blog the recipes are starting to sound very similar.

I can’t resist crystallised ginger – it has magical powers.  No really.  The power to entice you to eat cakes and biscuits.  It also is a life saver for me as hot ginger and lemon drink is my favourite brain rejuvenation solution to pep me up during a long day of back to back coaching sessions.

For once I managed to create and bake the base without causing undue damage or mess.  Round of applause please!  I love cakes that you mix in a saucepan – so much more exciting than the food processor.  No nasty thoughts of loosing fingers in fast moving parts.

The topping also requires a saucepan although the fumes of warming sugar and spicy ginger can start those tastebuds craving.

Early cake cravings can be a problem with this bake as it needs to sit in the fridge to set.  Cue much finger tapping on the kitchen work surface and opening and closing of the refrigerator to sneek a peek.

But finally you can relax.  Stick the kettle on for a compulsory cuppa.  Cut up the slab of ginger yumminess and then take a deep breath.  For it may be a while before you can come up for pure air again.