Jamie Oliver Gingerbread Cake

This Jamie Oliver gingerbread cake, It’s like someone wrapped a rainy autumn afternoon in a warm blanket and made it edible. There’s this deep, almost brooding richness from the dark chocolate, a slow burn from the stem ginger, and then—bam—a soft, sweet hit from those pears. I wasn’t expecting to love it this much, honestly. But I did. The smell alone could bring someone home. Anyway. (inspired by Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients Needed

For the Cake:

• Olive oil, just enough to grease, and 200ml more for the batter
• 4 large eggs
• 200g dark brown sugar (that slightly molasses-y kind)
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 200g ground almonds
• 100g dark chocolate (70%, the bitter stuff—don’t skimp)
• 100g stem ginger balls, syrupy and unapologetically strong
• One tin (410g) of pear halves, the kind that sit in juice

For the Sauce:

• Juice from the pear tin
• 1–2 spoons of syrup from the ginger jar
• The rest of that chocolate

How To Make Jamie Oliver Gingerbread Cake

1. Start by heating the oven to 180°C. Or 350°F if that’s your thing. Grease your tray—20 by 30 cm, nothing fancy—and line it with damp greaseproof paper. Yeah, damp. It helps.
2. Eggs go into a bowl. Big one. Beat ’em with the brown sugar and olive oil until they look like something you’d pour into a cake pan just because it smells like a hug. Add in the flour, baking powder, ground almonds. Fold it. Gently. Like you’re scared of waking a baby.
3. Now. Chop half the chocolate. All the ginger. Tiny bits. Mix them into the batter like secrets you’re not ready to share. Pour everything into the tray. Level it out.
4. Drain the pears. Keep half the juice—you’ll want it later, trust me. Slice the pears. Long and lazy slices. Nestle them into the batter. Don’t overthink it. Into the oven they go for 35 minutes, maybe less if your oven’s got a temper. Stick a skewer in—if it comes out with just crumbs, it’s done.
5. Once it’s out, give it five minutes to breathe. Then lift it out. Paper off. Onto a rack. Let it cool while you stare at it, wondering if you should’ve made two.
6. Now, the sauce. Put the empty tray over medium-high heat. (Yes, the same one. Let the cake crumbs flavor it.) Pour in the pear juice and a spoon or two of that sticky ginger syrup. Let it boil. Turn off the heat. Break in the rest of the chocolate. Stir until your spoon glides like it’s ice skating.
7. Cut a slice. Drown it in sauce. Maybe add ice cream. Maybe don’t. Either way, it’s a small ceremony.

Why I Love This Recipe

I made this cake on one of those grey Saturdays where everything feels a little too quiet. The oven ticking. The smell of sugar and spice turning the kitchen into something sacred. It brought people in from other rooms. That says enough. It felt like I was feeding more than just hunger.

Recipe Tips

• Use good-quality, bitter dark chocolate—it really makes the flavor pop.
• Be gentle with the batter. Overmixing makes it dense.
• Line your tray well with damp greaseproof paper. Total lifesaver.
• No pears, Apples will do. They soften differently but still taste amazing.
• That leftover sauce, Drizzle it on pancakes. Or sneak a spoonful straight.

How To Store This Jamie Oliver Gingerbread Cake

• At Room Temperature: You’ve got maybe a day or two. Keep it covered. If it’s cool in your kitchen, you’re golden.
• In the Fridge: Five days. Wrap it up tight. Bring it to room temp before serving. Cold cake? Meh.
• In the Freezer: Wrap it twice—plastic, then foil. Three months. Defrost overnight. Still amazing.
• Reheating: Oven at 160°C. Wrap slices in foil. Heat until warm. Or microwave for 40 seconds. Depends how impatient you are.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• Calories: 357
• Carbs: 30.5g
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 24.2g
• Sugar: 20.4g
• Fibre: 1.3g
• Sodium: 0.2g

Let’s Answer a Few Questions!

What’s the difference between gingerbread and gingerbread cake?
Gingerbread is what you build houses with at Christmas. Crunchy, spicy. Gingerbread cake is soft. Dark. Almost sticky. Different beast.

Can I use fresh pears?
Yeah, but poach them first. Otherwise, they’ll stay tough. No one wants a crunchy pear in a soft cake.

Frosting ideas?
Cream cheese if you want. But that chocolate sauce? Kinda perfect already.

Gluten-free version?
Use a good GF self-raising flour mix. Add a pinch of xanthan gum if needed. Almonds help with the texture.

What to do with leftovers?
Cake pops. Trifle. Crumble it over yogurt. Or just eat it cold, in the dark, straight from the fridge. We’ve all been there.

Try More Recipe:

• Jamie Oliver Croissant Bread And Butter Pudding
• Jamie Oliver Red Velvet Cake
• Jamie Oliver Chocolate Party Cake