Ginger Cake – Great Aunt Em’s

Serves - 20 slices

4 cups plain flour – triple sifted

1 cup sugar – brown

1 cup butter – room temperature

2 eggs – well beaten

1 cup treacle or golden syrup

1 cup milk (whole milk please)

2 teaspoons baking soda – sifted with flour

4-6 teaspoons ground ginger  (to your taste) – sifted with flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon – sifted with flour

Preheat oven tomoderate

Grease and line an 8 inch (20cm) square cake tin with the greaseproof paper coming 3 fingers above rim

Using a hand held electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until creamy (about 3-4 minutes), add treacle or golden syrup and beat again.

Turn mixer to low, and add a little of the beaten eggs, a little milk, with a little flour mixture and beat, do this alternately until all combined extremely well.

Pour mixture into middle of the cake tin and spread evenly to the sides.

Place in middle of the oven and bake for around 45 minutes or until cooked.  Use a metal skewer to test - if it comes out of the cake clean, it is cooked.

Take out of oven and leave for 15 minutes then decant onto a wire rack and wait until completely cool before icing and cutting.

Top cake with a lovely Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting with Chopped Glace Ginger sprinkled on top for an exquisite taste and decoration.

Note: You can use wholemeal or spelt flour I have cooked this cake with both and it still turns out well. If you do substitute and you find it a bit dry just add a little more milk.  Easy!

If you want a stronger taste of ginger, just add more.

If you didn’t want to use frosting on the cake, do what Great Aunt Em did and serve slices spread with butter.

Ideal for morning or afternoon tea, served on your best china, with that delicious cup of loose leaf tea or your favourite filter coffee.

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