A true classic, this sticky ginger cake keeps well long after baking. Recipe courtesy of Belling and Eunice Power.
Ingredients
Serves: 8
- 250g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate (baking) soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Salt
- 2 eggs
- 250ml milk
- 240g golden syrup
- 125g butter
- 3 pieces crystallised ginger finely chopped
- 3 tbsp sultanas
- 125g dark brown sugar
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C 160C (fan). I use a traditional square tin 22½ x 22½ cm (9 x 9 inch), butter it and line the base with baking parchment.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, ginger and cinnamon with a pinch of salt. Beat the eggs and milk together.
- Put the golden syrup with the butter into a large pan and warm over low heat until the butter has melted. Add the ginger, sultanas, and sugar and stir well to combine.
- Still stirring, bring this sticky mixture just to a simmer, then let bubble gently for 1 minute to soften the sultanas. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in spiced flour mixture.
- Pour in the beaten eggs and milk and beat well until smooth with no trace of flour.
- Pour into the buttered and lined tin and bake until dark, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Take the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack.
- Leave to cook completely in its tin before turning out. You can spread with butter as tradition decrees, but I find that this ginger cake is easily sticky enough to be served in splendid isolation, apart from, perhaps a nice cuppa!
Think ahead: Ginger cakes are traditionally great keepers; indeed, aficionados maintain that they should be matured for a couple of days before eating. Double wrap in parchment paper and foil, then store at room temperature in an airtight container.
