Sticky Gingerbread

This is another recipe from the wonderful Nigella Christmas. I promise that will be the end of my sweet treats recipes for a while and back to the proper business of real food. Well, for a week or so anyway!

I wasn’t going to blog this recipe for the simple fact that I’m not a big fan myself. I made it because I saw so many people raving about it online and thought it sounded really nice. And then I tasted it and decided gingerbread is not for me. You have no idea how much this disappoints me, I usually love everything Christmas related! Anyway, I didn’t make it for me, I made it to give to people as part of a gift and they loved it. And that’s all that matters, right? So don’t let my weird tastes put you off. Some asked for the recipe so that is why I am blogging it.

If you do like gingerbread, this is a very easy recipe. It is a very moist cake and keeps well in an airtight tin for a couple of weeks. Ideal to have around the house for any unexpected callers at this time of year. I think I’m selling it to myself now!!

I’m taking this opportunity to plead with manufacturers to put black treacle in a squeezy bottle. Please and thanks.

Makes 20 pieces

Ingredients:

150g unsalted butter
200g golden syrup
200g black treacle or molasses
125g dark muscovado sugar
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, dissolved in 2 tbsp of warm water
250ml full fat milk
2 eggs, beaten
300g plain flour, measured into a large bowl
Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170c/150c fan/gas mark 3 and line a roasting dish or suitable dish approx 30cm x 20cm with baking parchment. I used a roasting dish, Nigella also suggests using disposable foil trays. It saves on washing up too!
Put a saucepan on a low heat and melt together the butter, golden syrup, black treacle, sugar, fresh ginger and ground spices.
When melted and the sugar is fully dissolved, take pan off the heat and add the milk, eggs and dissolved bicarbonate of soda. Mix well.
Pour the liquid mixture over the flour and beat very well until mixed. I was beating for ages and there seemed to be lumps of flour still in the mix. I am very conscious of never over mixing a cake batter (it causes air pockets and heavy cakes) so I poured in into the tray, lumps and all but it turned out fine. It is a very wet batter so don’t worry if it looks wrong.
Bake it for 45-60 minutes until it has risen and is firm on top. Mine took about 55 minutes. Nigella warns that overbaking will mean it will lose its stickiness.
Leave the cake in the tin on a wire rack to cool. Cut it into 20 squares, or more if you wish – a little goes a long way.
Dust with icing sugar.

Click here for the print friendly version – Sticky Gingerbread – A Cookbook Collection