You will need:
For the loaf
Loaf tin (and liner)
150g caster sugar
150g butter (or good margarine)
3 large free range eggs
2 vanilla pods, seeds scraped out (or table spoon of vanilla paste)
150g self raising flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
For the icing
30g icing sugar
good shake of cinnamon (about 1 level teaspoon)
table spoon or two of water (or lemon or orange juice)
Method:
Preheat oven to gas mark 4 (180 degrees)
Cream the sugar and butter
Beat in the eggs and vanilla
Sift in the flour, cinnamon and ginger, and fold gently in
Spoon into tin (greased and lined with baking parchment, if not using a liner)
Bake for 45-55 minutes - it's ready when a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean
Leave in the tin, on a cooling rack to cool
While still warm, poke a skewer a good few times all over the cake
Make up the icing by sifting the icing sugar and mixing everything together
Spoon over the cooling cake and leave to set
