Gingerbread

Being a lover of all things ginger, I was delighted to come across this recipe in the book The Great British Book of Baking, the book that accompanies every bakers favourite TV series, the Great British Bake Off.

I decided to give it a try and was so impressed with the result that the very next week, I made two loaves - one for me and my kids and one for my parents. I love to share my delicious baking discoveries with my parents so I am always making things for them to try. They were just as impressed as I was with it. It is has such a moistness that a ginger cake should have and that dark sticky top that just gets better each day. It has become a staple in our house.

It is so moist you can just eat it plain but I like to butter it and enjoy it with a cup of tea.

Pro Tips

For a smaller loaf, you can divide the mixture into two loaf tins about 22 x 13 x 7cm each and reduce your cooking time down to about 30 minutes (or until your skewer comes out clean)
If you have a small enough saucepan, the easiest way to measure out the treacle and golden syrup is to put the saucepan on the scales and measure directly into it – it will be a lot less messy!

Ingredients

225g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground mixed spice

115g unsalted butter, chilled and diced

115g black treacle

115g golden syrup

115g brown sugar

275ml milk

1 egg, beaten

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 180oC

Grease and line a 900g/2lb (23x13x7cm) loaf tin

Sift the flour, bicarb soda, ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice together in a bowl

Add the diced butter and rub into the flour mix, being careful not to overwork it

Spoon the treacle and golden syrup into a small pan and warm gently until melted and runny but not hot. Set aside until lukewarm

Put the sugar and milk into another pan and heat gently, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Leave to cool until lukewarm

Whisk the milk into the flour mixture, quickly followed by the treacle mixture and the egg, to make a smooth thick batter the consistency of double cream

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean

Leave to sit in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool

Once completely cooled, wrap the loaf in foil and leave for at least a day before cutting to ensure it gets nice and sticky on the top. Store in an airtight container for about a week.

Makes 1 loaf

Exodus 20:12

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you."

Photo Gallery

Add butter to sifted flour mixture

Heat milk & sugar in one saucepan and heat treacle & golden syrup in another saucepan

Mix the treacle & golden syrup and milk & sugar into the flour mixture

Pour mixture into lined and greased pan

Once cooked, turn out onto a wire rack to cool