
A dark, moist, and intensely spiced ginger cake made with honey, treacle, and chunks of stem ginger. This loaf has a signature sticky texture that only gets better if left for a day or two before slicing.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/Gas 4). Grease a 2-litre loaf tin with butter and line the base and sides with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, honey, black treacle, chopped stem ginger, and ginger syrup. Stir gently until the butter has completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Pour in the milk, stir to combine, and leave the mixture to cool for approximately 15 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and freshly grated nutmeg.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the cooled milk and treacle mixture. Stir well until no lumps of flour remain.
Add the egg and beat it into the batter until fully incorporated and smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Bake for 1 hour, or until the cake has risen and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
For an extra sticky finish, brush the top of the warm cake with a little additional ginger syrup. This cake keeps exceptionally well; wrap it in foil and store it in an airtight container for 2-3 days to allow the flavors to mature and the texture to become even stickier.