The Ultimate Jamaica Cake Recipe

Today's post comes courtesy of my parter Jake who made the most incredible Jamaica Ginger Cake this week, and even remembered to take pictures! (He's a keeper!) So this is a version of a Mary Berry Recipe that is available in the British Book of Baking that accompanies GBBO. In anticipation of the series' return this Wednesday on BBC One, this bake should ensure a perfect result every time.

You will need:

• 225g Self-Raising Flour
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1 tbsp Ground Ginger
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground Mixed Spice
• 115g Unsalted Butter, Chilled and Diced
• 115g Black Treacle
• 115g Golden Syrup
• 115g Dark Brown Muscovado Sugar
• 275ml Milk (not Skimmed)
• 1 Medium free-range Egg, beaten
• A 900g loaf tin, about 26 x 13 7cm, greased with butter and lined with greaseproof paper.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan. Mix and sieve the dry ingredients (flour, bicarb, ginger, cinnamon & mixed spice) in a large mixing bowl. The rub in the unsalted butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (see below)

2. Once the mixture has formed breadcrumbs, warm the golden syrup and treacle in a small pan. Do not let the mixture boil and then take off the heat and set to one side and allow to cool.

3. Warm the milk in a jug and dissolve in the sugar. Mix well ensuring that all the sugar has dissolved into the mixture. Leave this to cool also until it is lukewarm.

4. Once the liquid ingredients are cooler, mix the milk and sugar solution into the flour and whisk well preferably with an electric whisk. Then add in the treacle and golden syrup, soloed by the egg and continue to whisk until you have a smooth thick batter.

5. Pour this mixture into two lined and greased loaf tins. If you are using a silicone loaf tin this is less important (see the purple loaf) however for a traditional loaf tine, even a non stick will need lining and greasing well. Ensure you get the mixtures as equal as possible so that they cook at the same pace. Place the loafs side by side in the middle of the pre-heated oven.

6. Bake for approx 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to throughly cool. The cake is very light so may fall apart easily (as seen below) this will not in any way harm the taste so worry not!

7. Once cool transfer to a cake tin where it will keep for about 5 days (ours went mouldy :( after 6 days). The cake becomes stickier as it cools and resembles the McVitties Jamaica Ginger Cake that you can buy in stores. Great with a cup of tea!

Hope you liked this weeks bake, it may not be the prettiest bake but it is tasty beyond doubt and great for guests who have a tendency to rock up unexpected!

Would love to know if you are another Ginger fan and have a go at this one.