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Spiced ginger “anxiety” cake

Melbourne-based comedian Tegan Higginbotham commonly bakes her spiced ginger cakes, packed with warming spices as a nod to her Dutch husband's heritage, in double batches known as “anxiety bakes”, to ensure her husband doesn’t face the anxiety of missing out on a slice of cake!

Spiced ginger “anxiety” cake

Credit: Jiwon Kim

  • serves

    6-8

  • prep

    15 minutes

  • cook

    45 minutes

  • difficulty

    Easy

serves

6-8

people

preparation

15

minutes

cooking

45

minutes

difficulty

Easy

level

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episode The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 
cooking • 
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Ingredients

  • 112 g butter, softened
  • 140 g caster sugar
  • 175 g plain flour
  • ¼ tsp bicarb soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 2 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 heaped tsp ground ginger, plus extra to serve
  • ½ heaped tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp allspice
  • 3 eggs
  • 125 g plain yoghurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the icing
  • 100 g butter
  • 1 cup icing sugar mixture
  • 1-2 tbsp milk, if required

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Grease and line a small 1 litre (7.5 cm x 9 cm x 17 cm) loaf tin.
  2. In a large bowl, use electric beaters to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Into a second large bowl, sift the flour, bicarb soda, baking powder and ground spices together. Beat the eggs, one at a time, into the butter mixture, then use a spatula to fold in the sifted dry ingredients. Fold in the yoghurt and vanilla extract.
  3. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared loaf tin, then bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool, before icing.
  4. To make the icing, melt the butter in a large frying pan and cook to a beurre noisette. Remove from the heat and whisk in the icing sugar. If the icing is too thick, add some milk a little at time, until you reach your preferred texture.
  5. Spread the icing over the cooled cake and serve.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Thumbnail of Spice World

Spice World

episode The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 
cooking • 
25m
G
episode The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 
cooking • 
25m
G

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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only.
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Cooking and conversation are a bridge to understanding people and their culture. On The Cook Up with Adam Liaw his guests - world renowned chefs, entertainers, sports and social media stars - prepare food, eat, laugh and give us a glimpse into their lives.
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Published 19 March 2025 4:27pm
By SBS Food
Source: SBS



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