DukesHill Hampers for Mother's Day and a Ginger & Rhubarb Cake Recipe to Make Her Smile

Shower your mother with appreciation and a thoughtful gift from DukesHill. Delight her with an expertly packed gift box brimming with exceptional chocolates, or a hamper bursting with delicious treats. 

DukesHill's Afternoon Tea Hamper £66 for 6 items

Traditionally presented in a rustic wicker basket with leather straps that can be used for picnics and storage, this Afternoon Tea Hamper contains a selection of indulgent chocolates and treats. From a delicious fruitcake and traditional melt-in-the-mouth all-butter Scottish shortbread, your mum will love working her way through the hamper of delights.

Chocolate tiffin (500g), 2nd Flush Darjeeling Tea Pyramid Bags (x15), Grandad's light fruit loaf cake (500g), Flapjack (350g), Handmade Scottish shortbread (300g), Milk chocolate, crunchy biscuit & caramelised pecan mendiants (150g)

Pancake Breakfast Selection £33.75 for 6 items

Surprise your mum with an irresistible pancake breakfast selection. Contains 6 wholegrain pancakes, 6 lemon and poppy seed pancakes, cultured butter, blossom soft set honey and DukesHill's finest traditionally cured British streaky bacon. Serve with their delectable strawberry jam. 

Contains wholegrain pancakes (x6), lemon and poppy seed pancakes (x6), cultured butter (210g), blossom soft set honey (350g), unsmoked dry cured streaky bacon (350g), strawberry jam (227g)

Large chocolate selection from £29.95 for 250g

DukesHill's signature chocolate selection, each in a beautifully ribboned gift box.

Each hand filled selection comprises a mix of milk, dark and caramelised white chocolates including pralines, ganache, gianduja and caramels. The perfect selection to delight and surprise.

RECIPE: Ginger and rhubarb cake with brown buttercream

Ingredients

320g Unsalted butter

320g Light brown sugar

320g Self-raising flour

2 tsp Baking powder

1 1/2 tbsp Ground ginger

1 tsp Mixed spice

1 tsp Salt

6 Eggs

2 tbsp Black treacle

1 tsp Vanilla paste

2 tbsp Milk

Half a jar of DukesHill Rhubarb & Ginger Jam

500g Good quality salted butter

500g Icing sugar

30ml Double cream

Black pepper

1 tbsp Honey

Fudge to decorate, crumbled

Method

Grease and flour three 20cm cake tins and preheat the oven to 170c. 

In a large bowl, sieve together the flour, ginger, mixed spice, salt and baking powder and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. While still beating the mixture, add the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour mixture if it starts to curdle. Whisk in the black treacle. Pour into the prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes - or until the cakes spring back to the touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Set aside to cool for five minutes, while you combine the milk and vanilla paste together. Remove the cakes from the tins and place on a wire rack. Brush each cake with the vanilla milk soak and leave to cool.

To make the brown buttercream, place the butter in a pan over a medium heat and cook while stirring from time to time. Don't go away - watch the colour and smell the aromas carefully, as it will turn quickly. When the butter has turned light brown and smells nutty, remove from the heat. Don't allow it to brown too much otherwise it will taste acrid. Set aside for at least 20 minutes to cool.

Sieve the icing sugar in a stand mixer and add the brown butter and double cream. Whisk until it thickens. It can be made in advance and chilled.

To assemble the cakes, place the first sponge onto a serving plate, drizzle a little honey over the sponge and twist of freshly milled black pepper. Then, pipe buttercream around the edge of the sponge before spooning jam into the middle. The buttercream forms a barrier that prevents the cakes from sliding around. Pipe buttercream over the jam. Add the next sponge and repeat the process. For the final sponge, add the drizzle of honey and black pepper and finish with a layer of buttercream. Add crumbled fudge around the circumference to decorate. 

For more information, visit dukeshill.co.uk