Baby spice and strawberry butter cakes

After making the strawberry crostata – with such great results – I started searching for the rhubarb recipes I’d been keeping forever in order to make them using strawberries.

It reminded me of when I watched “Heat” and then started looking for everything Michael Mann had done before. :)

Baby spice and strawberry butter cakes
adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller

Cakes:
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) soft unsalted butter
¾ cup golden syrup
3 eggs
1 ½ cups + 1 ½ tablespoons (225g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Strawberry compote:
300g strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
¼ cup (50g) caster sugar
1 tablespoon water

Start by making the strawberry compote: combine strawberries, sugar and water in a saucepan, and bring to the boil over high heat (give it a little stir just to dissolve the sugar). Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 2 minutes or until softened, then cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes, mixing occasionally, or until liquid has reduced and strawberries are soft – while mixing, squash the berries down using a silicon spatula to release all their juices. Cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; butter nine 2/3-cup capacity mini loaf pans*.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter and golden syrup until pale, then add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, until incorporated.
Sift over flour, baking powder and spices and beat in low speed to combine – batter will be thick.
Spoon into prepared pans and spoon 2 teaspoons strawberry compote down center.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just cooked. Allow to cool slightly, then turn out onto wire racks and cool.
Cakes will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

* I halved the recipe above, used 1/3 cup (80ml) muffin pans and got 8 cakes

Makes 9