METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Line a square or round 23cm (9in) tin with parchment.
2. Place the butter with the brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses in a small pan and stir over medium heat until the butter melts.
3. Mix the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, pepper, cloves, bicarb of soda and baking powder in a large bowl. Pour in the butter mix and stir energetically with a spatula until lumps disappear. Stir in the fresh ginger, then beat in the eggs and stir in the preserved ginger pieces.
4. Pour the batter into the tin – it will be very runny. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely in the tin.
5. When cold, remove the cake in the parchment from the tin onto a chopping board. Slice it in half horizontally using a serrated bread knife or a cake wire. Carefully lift the top half (the top remains sticky even when the cake is cold).
6. Stir the jam with a spoon or warm it up slightly if very thick and spoon it over the bottom half of the cake; spread evenly with a palette knife and cover with the top half.
7. Beat the maple syrup into a bowl with the icing sugar and cinnamon; add enough milk so it’s spreading consistency. Pour it over the cake and spread evenly with a palette knife. Let it stand for at least half an hour so the glaze sets.
8. To serve trim the edges and keep for yourself as chef's bonus – just kidding. Cut the rest of the cake into neat squares to serve.