Ginger Treacle Sponge Recipes

GINGER AND TREACLE SPICED TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Cut a rectangle of non stick baking parchment to fit the base and sides of a 30x23x4cm/12x9x1½in traybake tin or roasting tin. Grease the tin and then line with the paper, pushing it neatly into the corners of the tin.
• Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3.
• Measure all the ingredients for the traybake into a large bowl and beat well for about two minutes until well blended. A hand-held electric mixer is best for this but of course you can also mix it by hand with a wooden spoon. (Treacle can be difficult to weigh accurately as it tends to stick to the scale pan. Weighing the treacle on top of the sugar overcomes this problem.)
• Turn the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula to remove all the mixture. Level the top gently with the back of the spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the traybake springs back when pressed lightly with a finger in the centre and is beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tin. Allow the traybake to cool a little, then remove the cake from the tin by easing the paper away from the sides of the tin. Turn onto a cooling rack, remove the lining paper and leave to cool completely.
• To make the icing, mix the icing sugar and syrup together in a small bowl until smooth and a spreading consistency. Pour the icing over the cake, spread gently to the edges with a small palette knife and sprinkle with the chopped stem ginger to decorate.
• Allow the icing to set before slicing the traybake to serve.

EASY TREACLE SPONGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the syrup, lemon zest, juice and breadcrumbs and spread over the base of a 1.5 litre baking dish.
• Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one by one. Stir in the flour and milk and dollop over the syrup. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden and risen, and a skewer poked into the sponge comes out clean-ish. Eat with lots of custard, cream or ice cream and extra dribbles of syrup.

JAMAICAN GINGER SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Butter a 1.2-litre pudding basin, then press a disc of baking parchment into the base. Heat 4cm water in a heavy-based pan and add a trivet or upturned bowl or saucer to the base.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarb into a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and ½ tsp fine salt and stir everything together. Wrap the end of the frozen butter in foil and, holding it by the foil end, coarsely grate the butter into the dry ingredients. Unwrap and discard the foil to grate the last piece. Fold everything together so the butter is evenly distributed. Mix in the stem ginger, eggs, treacle, sugar and milk. Spoon into the pudding basin, leaving a small gap for the sponge to rise, and cover with a disc of parchment. Seal the pudding basin with a tight-fitting lid or a double layer of foil, sealed tightly around the basin and tied with cook's string. Set on top of the trivet, cover with a lid and steam for 3 hrs, topping up with water so it doesn't boil dry.
• Pour the syrup into a shallow frying pan, bring to the boil and cook until the syrup is turning a deep golden brown. Quickly whisk in the rum and butter, then whisk in the cream and bubble for 2 mins. Gently tip the sponge pudding out of its basin and onto a serving plate. Pour over the rum sauce and serve with thick cream or vanilla ice cream, if you like.