Taid’s Spicy Ginger Cake

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Rich, moist and bursting with spicy ginger, warm cinnamon, sweet dates and golden nuggets of stem ginger, this fabulous cake, not only lasts well, but, if you can bear to wait, it tastes even better after a couple of days. It is outstanding served simply with a cup of tea but it also makes a wonderful, warm and comforting dessert with caramel sauce and ice cream, or a generous portion of custard.

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Can you serve the cake without the icing?

Yes you can! This cake can be served as it is, or, as is my favourite, with a thin drizzle of lemon icing. The zesty, sharp icing really cuts though the sweetness of the cake and complements the deep and spicy flavours. It looks fabulous decorated with some extra chopped stem ginger too.

How to make Taid’s Spicy Ginger Cake

Please see the printable Recipe Card below for the exact, yet condensed, quantities and instructions.

Collect all the ingredients together:

Cake –

• unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the cake batter.
• dark brown sugar. Or you can use light soft brown sugar.
• golden syrup. If you want a deeper coloured cake with a stronger flavour of molasses, replace the golden syrup with additional treacle.
• dark treacle
• fine salt
• plain/all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• ground ginger. Or more, if you want a fiery spicy cake.
• cinnamon powder
• milk. I use semi-skimmed because that is what I always have in the fridge. You could use skimmed or full fat milk as well.
• bicarbonate of soda. Or baking soda, if you are across the pond.
• eggs. I use medium eggs but the recipe is quite forgiving if you only have small or large eggs.
• chopped dates. You can use dates bought pre-chopped or whole dates which you chop yourself. If you don’t like dates, simply omit them.
• stem ginger, finely chopped. If you want a soft sponge with no additional texture, omit the chopped ginger. You may wish to increase the powdered ginger by ¼ – ½ teaspoon though.
• syrup from the stem ginger, to brush on the cooked cake. Or use more golden syrup.

Lemon Icing –

• 100g icing sugar
• 4 – 6 teaspoons lemon juice
• extra chopped stem ginger

How to make this wonderful, moist, spicy cake:

1. Cake: weigh the butter, golden syrup, black treacle, sugar and salt into a saucepan. Melt over a moderate heat until the sugar has dissolved, stirring from time to time. Do not boil. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Sieve the flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon powders into the saucepan and combine, until nearly mixed in.
3. Meanwhile, combine the milk and bicarbonate of soda and pour into the cake batter. Use a balloon whisk to make sure there are no lumps in the mix.
4. Crack in the eggs and mix everything together thoroughly with a balloon whisk.
5. Finely chop the stem ginger and fold into the batter with the chopped dates. Pour into the prepared cake tin.
6. Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for 40 – 50 minutes, or until cooked. It is cooked when:
   • the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains
   • a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
7. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then brush the top of the cake with syrup from the stem ginger jar.
8. Using the greaseproof paper over-hang, transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool.
9. Icing: slowly add the lemon juice to the icing sugar. Mix thoroughly until you have a thick, but easily pourable, paste.
10. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and drizzle over the icing, allowing it to spread down the sides. Decorate with extra chopped stem ginger, if you like.

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.