Name: Gingerbread Cake
Yield: Serves 8–10 (makes 1 x 22 cm/9 inch cake, or can be baked as small cakes)
Ingredients: 455 g/1 lb/1⅓ cups black treacle; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 225 g/8 oz/generous 1 cup brown sugar; 225 g/8 oz/1 cup butter, plus extra for the tin; icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar), to serve (optional); 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 115 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup warm milk, plus extra if needed; 3 tbsp ground ginger; 455 g/1 lb/3½ cups flour

Preparation info

Serves
8–10
(makes 1 x 22 cm 9 inch cake )

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

How to Cook The Victorian Way with Mrs Crocombe

By Annie Gray and Andrew Hann

Published 2020

About

Ginger was one of the cheaper spices in the past (along with black pepper) and was consequently much used. Cakes such as this developed in the 18th century when treacle became readily available as a cheap alternative to sugar. They are easy to make, and this one keeps for months, so it would have been ideal for the servants’ hall. If you do happen to have any left, it makes an interesting alternative to sponge cake or breadcrumbs in some of the sweet puddings in this book. This is a real fa