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Can The Chocolate Gingerbread Be Eaten Straight Away?

Asked by Kay89. Answered on 13th December 2023

Full question

Is it better to leave the gingerbread cake for a couple of days before icing? Like your other gingerbread recipe? Or is this one best to be iced and eaten straight away? Thank you

Image of Nigella's Chocolate Gingerbread
Photo by James Merrell
Chocolate Gingerbread
By Nigella
  • 14
  • 2

Our answer

Nigella's Chocolate Gingerbread (from FEAST) is a moist chocolate cake that is spiced with cinnamon, cloves and ginger and iced with a chocolate-ginger glace icing. The cake contains both golden syrup and treacle (molasses). These are invert sugars that attract water molecules and help to keep cakes moist, so this gingerbread should improve after a day or two of storing. Wrap the cooled Chocolate Gingerbread in a layer of baking parchment and a layer of foil and store in an airtight container.

However, if you want to make the gingerbread ahead then we suggest that you store it without the icing on and just ice it 2-3 hours ahead of serving. Unfortunately the glace icing will start to absorb moisture from the cake and turn sticky after a couple of days, so the cake will not store quite as well once it has been iced.

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