My mum rarely wrote any of her recipes down, much to my family’s disappointment, as well as mine. The majority of her cake recipes were quite easy to remember, but this one always seemed be a bit hit or miss, even for her. I remember on numerous occasions staying up late with her baking for a large cake order, the ginger cake always being last on the agenda. At 2am in the morning there would be tears – more than likely due to exhaustion – ‘Nooo! The ginger cake has collapsed!’ and another one would have to be whipped up. I never asked my mum why she didn’t write it down (although I think she might have and then lost it) or where she got the recipe from. She was quite a disorganised person, which perhaps on the flip side is why her cakes tasted so delicious. After all don’t they say messy hands make good cooks?

Between my auntie and myself we have come up with a recipe we think matches her lusciously sticky ginger cake. Or if you’re feeling brave, just guess!

Ingredients

150g    Butter

200g    Golden syrup

200g    Black treacle

125g    Dark Muscovado sugar

250ml Milk

2          Eggs

300g    Plain flour

2 tsp   Fresh ginger

2 tsp   Ground ginger

1 tsp   Bicarbonate dissolved in 2 tablespoons of warm water

Method  Oven 170c

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Line large loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
3. In a saucepan melt the butter, golden syrup, treacle and ginger, then take off the heat and cool.
4. Break the eggs in a jug and beat with a fork a little then add the milk. Add the egg and milk to the cooled mixture along with the bicarbonate of soda.
5. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add the mixture to the flour and beat until well-mixed and no dry flour is visible. The mixture will be very runny.
6. Pour into your greased tin and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until well risen and when touched it springs back.