Ginger Cake

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Updated on 04/14/23
Ultimate Ginger Cake Recipe
Elaine Lemm
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 1 cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
785 Calories
30g Fat
123g Carbs
9g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 785
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 39%
Saturated Fat 18g 91%
Cholesterol 155mg 52%
Sodium 1023mg 44%
Total Carbohydrate 123g 45%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 82g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 324mg 25%
Iron 5mg 26%
Potassium 622mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

When fall knocks at the door, nothing could be more delicious than the lovely warming flavors of a delicious fresh ginger cake to cheer you up. The cake is made with not just one, but two types of ginger—tiny bites of syrup-soaked fresh ginger and ground ginger—mace, and mixed spice. Best of all, this recipe makes the softest cake.

The cake makes a lovely teatime treat and is equally lovely served as a dessert with a dollop of whipped cream or for the ultimate treat fresh custard sauce.

Ingredients

For the Candied Ginger:

  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled

  • 4 tablespoons sugar

  • 1/2 cup water

For the Cake:

  • 1 cup dark brown sugar

  • 7 ounces (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter

  • 1/2 cup golden syrup, or light corn syrup

  • 1/2 cup black treacle, or molasses

  • 3 medium free-range eggs

  • 3/4 cup milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour

  • 1 teaspoon mace

  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice, or pumpkin spice

  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to 375 F and grease and line a 2-pound loaf pan, or use a paper liner.

  3. Cut the peeled fresh ginger into thin slices, then cut again into matchsticks. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and boil rapidly until all the sugar is dissolved and the liquid slightly reduced. Remove from the heat, add the ginger sticks and leave in the syrup for an hour. You can make these ahead the day before.

  4. Using a large roomy saucepan, melt the brown sugar, butter, golden syrup, and treacle together over medium heat. Stir gently taking great care not to burn the sugar. Once everything is dissolved, set the pan aside until the mixture is cool.

  5. Once cooled, add the eggs one at a time beating continuously.

  6. Add the milk and beat again until the mixture is light and airy, about a minute.

  7. Put the flour, baking soda, and spices into a large baking bowl and whisk to combine.

  8. Place a fine sieve over the bowl and pour the sugar, butter and egg mixture through. Whisk everything together to create a smooth and glossy batter.

  9. Add the syrup-soaked ginger matchsticks and stir into the batter.

  10. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake in the center of the oven until risen and golden brown. If the top of the cake starts to brown too quickly, lower the heat. The cake is cooked through when you place a skewer into the center and comes out clean without a trace of a mixture. This will take about 50 minutes.

  11. Leave the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and place onto a wire cooling rack.

  12. Once cooled, either serve or store in an airtight tin. The cake should be eaten within a few days or serve as a pudding with custard, crème fraîche, or whipped cream. 

Recipe Variation

  • This cake can also be made in a food processor. Melt the butter, sugar, and syrup as directed, then cool. Proceed with the recipe using the food processor. Place the melted mixture into the processor, add the eggs and milk and mix. Sift in the flour, baking soda, and spices and mix again to create a smooth, lump-free batter. Finally, add the syrup-soaked ginger and stir with a spoon. Cook and serve as in the recipe above.

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