Ingredients
Makes 20 squares
225g butter, plus extra to grease
225g soft dark brown sugar
70g black treacle
165g golden syrup
300ml milk
350g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1–1½ tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Lightly grease a 30 x 20cm roasting tin with butter and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
- Put the butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup in a saucepan and melt over a low to medium heat. Remove from the heat, stir in the milk and leave to cool.
- Sift the flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs. Using a wooden spoon, start to stir the eggs, but without forcing flour into the eggs (which can cause lumps); it will be drawn in and incorporated as you stir the eggs.
- As this mixture becomes thicker, add a little of the cooled butter and sugar
mix to loosen it, then continue stirring. Continue like this until all the flour has been incorporated and all the liquid ingredients added. This should take about 5 minutes. - Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 50–60 minutes. Don’t be tempted to open the oven door before 45 minutes or the cake may sink. Test by inserting a skewer into the centre; it should come out clean or with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If there is uncooked mixture on the skewer, return the cake to the oven to cook for a little longer.
- Once cooked, turn the gingerbread onto a wire rack to cool before cutting into squares. It keeps very well in an airtight tin, for up to 3 weeks, and even improves with keeping.
A note on weighing syrup…
When weighing syrup, it is best to weigh it onto the top of the sugar that is being added at the same time, to prevent it sticking to the scale pan. To prevent it sticking to the spoon, dip the spoon in hot water for a few seconds, dry it and then use to measure the syrup out.