Ingredients - makes a 9” square cake
15oz plain flour | 4oz soft dark brown sugar |
¼ teaspoon salt | 2 eggs, beaten |
1 tablespoon grated root ginger | 1½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda |
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest | 8fl oz black treacle |
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon | 4oz unsalted butter |
Pinch ground cloves | 7fl oz hot water |
2 tablespoons Demerara sugar |
Method
- Grease and line a 9 inch (23cm) square cake tin.
- Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and cloves into a bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Beat in the treacle, followed by the eggs.
- Gradually beat in the flour mixture and hot water alternately. Mix well.
- Stir in the grated fresh ginger and orange zest.
- Pour into the lined tin and sprinkle the Demerara sugar over the top.
- Pre-heat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4 and cook for 1hr 15mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake, comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then finish cooling on a wire rack.
If you want to use a food processor to make this cake:
- Using the chopping blade, put the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, cloves and sugar into the bowl and give it a quick whizz.
- Put the treacle, butter and hot water into a saucepan and place on a very low heat.
- Stirring continuously heat until the butter is dissolved and the mixture is blended.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the eggs, ginger and orange zest.
- With the processor running pour the liquid through the feeder tube and blend until all ingredients are well mixed.