This is one of my favourite cake recipes, made entirely from non-perishable store cupboard ingredients. The recipe is very forgiving so you can vary quantities and really is a genuine bung it all in the food processor and whizz then bake recipe.
Although delicious fresh from the oven the cake keeps well and actually improves with age, the top becomes wonderfully moist and sticky after a few days in a tin. It reminds me of shop ginger cake the texture is similar to the Lyle’s one in a green foil wrapper – but with fewer additives and more flavour. I far prefer baking using oil rather than fat as I think that it gives a far moister cake.
For extra zing in the cake add a dash of chilli powder, I often add a handful of dried dates or figs for extra texture and flavour. The seeds of the figs provide a slight popping crunch to the otherwise soft cake. If you do not have treacle, golden syrup, dark maple syrup or molasses would work well in its place.
One Step Ginger Cake (makes 16 x 2” pieces)
350g Plain Flour
225g Sugar (I use soft dark brown for colour and flavour but any would work)
100g Cooking oil (Sunflower or rape/canola)
2 – 3 tsp ground ginger
1tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch salt
About 60g treacle *
225ml boiling water
½ – 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
½ – 1 tsp ground all spice (optional)
Dash chilli powder (optional)
Handful dried dates or figs (optional)
Place all the ingredients into the food processor bowl and whizz until you have a smooth golden brown batter. Pour into 8” square pan lined with greaseproof paper and bake at GM4/180C for about 35 – 40 mins until risen and a cocktail stick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
* When weighing the treacle I put the spoon into a jug on the scales, then zero them, use the spoon to dollop the treacle into the jug without scraping the spoon I then rezero the scales and weigh 225g of boiling water into the jug which will dissolve all the treacle which saves any sticky scraping for spoon to food processor bowl. As the recipe is so forgiving accurate measuring is really not necessary.
yum! I love the thought of a bit of crunchy fig seeds and some spicy hotness.
Do make it and let my know what you think Bethany – it is the easiest cake in the world to make. I wonder if some vanilla frosting would work spread on top?!
Gosh I made a very similar one tonight, only it has butter instead of oil and you cook it in a loaf pan. You chop up crystallised ginger and sprinkle on top then pour some microwaved honey over! Which reminds me, I probably should have taken a photo…
I hope you don’t mind some randomer posting on your blog but over the last few weeks I have tried so many Ginger Cake recipes it has put me close to tears. Stem ginger, pickled ginger, pickled ginger juice, buttermilk, golden syrup, treacle, ground ginger… the recipes out there are ENDLESS and yet… none of them, even the fancy schmancy ones quite lived up to their rep and could be quite complex to make. Then I stumbled on this. You’re recipe… I read it twice… three times… surely not… I don’t need to go shopping? I don’t need to hop on one leg and recite the recipe backwards while it cooks? I followed your instructions, added the cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg (since I like those flavours) used Dark Brown Muscovado sugar and the cake is stunning! The flavour is AMAZING and it is sooooo good. Thank you, you are a blessing.
I am so glad that you like it Lara, it took me several goes to get it right but it is now my favourite cake, and will be a base for other flavours in the near future.
Great recipe! I had alot of the same frustrations as the other people who commented – just wanted a simple ginger recipe! Thanks for posting it!