Old Fashioned Sticky Gingerbread Cake

A truly satisfying hit of ginger makes for a deliciously sticky gingerbread cake, which also looks the part with its special stem ginger icing.

Old Fashioned Sticky Gingerbread

Makes 10 thick slices | Preparation time 15 mins | Baking time 45 mins

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 225g soft margarine or unsalted butter
• 225g soft brown sugar
• 225g black treacle
• 300ml semi skimmed milk
• 350g plain flour
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the icing:

• 75g sifted icing sugar
• 3 bulbs of stem ginger finely chopped
• 3 tbsp preserving syrup from the stem ginger jar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/160˚C fan/gas mark 4. Grease and line the base of a 2lb standard loaf tin with silicone baking parchment.
2. Melt the sugar, margarine/butter, milk and treacle in a small pan using a low heat and put to one side.
3. Sift the flour, ginger, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add the melted margarine/butter, milk, treacle and sugar to the dry ingredients and stir well. Add the beaten eggs and stir using a wooden spoon until completely smooth and combined.
4. Pour mixture into the prepared tin. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 45 mins. The cake is ready when it springs back into place when gently pressed on top or an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 5 mins to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
5. To make the icing, gradually add the stem ginger syrup to your icing sugar until you have a smooth spreading consistency. Add more syrup of needed. Pour the icing over the cake and gently encourage it to the edges using a warm knife or palette knife.
6. Finish the sticky gingerbread cake by sprinkling the finely chopped stem ginger over the top.

TIP:

• This stick gingerbread recipe is very simple to make and improves with age so why not make a double batch? If you can resist not eating it there and then, wrap in clingfilm and leave in a cool dark place to develop its stickiness and flavour.
• This recipe also freezes really well and actually improves in texture.

Alternative serving suggestion:

Although great on its own, why not try a thick slice buttered for afternoon tea.