If you feel like nothing is ever gingery enough, this is the cake for you.

I want ginger to attack me. I want it to burn my throat. I want it to punch me in the face. And if a recipe doesn’t call for enough ginger to suit you, sometimes you have to take life into your own hands.

So, yes, this ginger cake, which comes from one of my mother’s Australian cookbooks, calls for two teaspoons of powdered ginger. Which is cute. But there’s nothing stopping me from adding more–say, upping it to two tablespoons. And mincing a tablespoon of fresh ginger and throwing that in, too. And making a sacrifice to the ginger gods just to be on the safe side.

No, this doesn’t make your throat burn in the way that ginger beer does. This is a recipe my family makes around the holidays, and not everyone is as interested in ginger violence as my mother and I are. But it does have a more pronounced ginger flavor than you may find in other baked goods. And if you want to up the ginger even more, no one’s stopping you. I certainly won’t. I might request a slice, though.

Some notes about this cake:

• Golden syrup: Being an Australian recipe, it does use an ingredient that’s less common in the US: golden syrup. You can usually find at World Market, in the international section of some grocery stores, or online. Lyle’s golden syrup is the most common brand. You can substitute honey or dark corn syrup, but I recommend going the golden syrup route.
• Pan size: The original recipe says to bake it in an 8×8 square pan, but my family always uses a loaf pan. It’s always worked well in a loaf pan, but I did once use a loaf pan that was slightly smaller than standard and it overflowed on me, so. I guess if your loaf pan is smaller than 9×5, perhaps go with an 8×8 pan instead.
• Texture: This cake I baked in the pictures came out dryer than usual. I may have gotten distracted wrapping presents and let it sit in the pan for a little too long. My bad. So, it’s important for me to note for posterity that this cake is moister than these pictures might lead you to believe!

Extra Gingery Ginger Cake

Source: Adapted from an Australian Women’s Weekly cookbook. No idea which one.

Makes one 9×5 loaf or one 8×8 cake.

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup golden syrup (see note above for where to find it; can substitute honey or dark corn syrup if you must)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger (or more or less to your liking)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• a pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (optional) (may add more or less to your liking)

Line a 9×5 loaf pan or 8×8 square pan with parchment paper; grease paper with butter or baking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small pot over low heat, stir together the butter and golden syrup until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Add sugar, eggs, milk, and fresh ginger and stir to combine. Pour in the melted butter and golden syrup mixture and mix until combined.

Pour cake mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until it’s browned on top and a toothpick comes out with little to no crumbs. (I baked mine in a loaf pan for 65 minutes and accidentally left it in the pan for 15 minutes after taking it out of the oven and it came out dry. Don’t be me.) Leave in pan for five minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool. When cooled, top with lemon icing (if you like).

Lemon Icing

• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
• a pinch of salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1-3 tsp water or lemon juice (to thin to desired consistency)

Combine butter, 2 tbsp lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and powdered sugar in a bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. To thin it out to your desired consistency, add anywhere from one to three teaspoons of water or lemon juice (use water if you don’t like tart things; use lemon juice if you do). Spread on the top and halfway down the sides of the cooled cake.