An old-fashioned moist, dark treacle gingerbread loaf. Just how grandma made it. A super easy recipe for ginger cake.
Grandma's Quick & Thrifty Cookbook
This moist, treacley gingerbread comes from Grandma's Quick & Thrifty Cookbook.
A great title for this day and age, especially with the state of the economy and all our purse strings pulling tighter.
I was excited to have a good read of this cookbook. I was expecting great things from it.
It starts off with some great tips on preserving fruit, vegetables and herbs.
There are also energy saving tips, ways to use leftovers and ideas to make meals go further. And ...... then come the recipes.
Oh the recipes. Readers beware ........
Keep reading!
I have to tell you I felt deflated and disappointed when I got to the recipes.
I don't know what I was expecting, as these are billed as Grandma's recipes, so there wasn't going to be any ground-breaking, stylish dishes, but still I was disappointed.
There might be some great family dishes if you're a meat eater, but none of the veggie or vegetable dishes inspired me at all.
Don't give up yet!
I might have given up at this point, but I carried on reading until I got to the jewel in the crown. First a chapter called Desserts and then on to Bread, Cakes, Biscuits and other Treats.
You just can't beat traditional cakes and biscuits. Especially if you need a spot of comfort food. You won't find anything nicer than one of Grandma's puddings.
Desserts, Bread, Biscuits & Other Treats
I would recommend buying this book for these chapters alone.
I still wasn't convinced after my first read, but I find myself picking it up again and again.
I've also had requests for the recipe from my mum and her friend Margaret. So I'm going to end on a high note and say this book is worth buying for the Tips, Desserts, Baking and the Basics at the end of the book.
And of course this gingerbread loaf.
My vegan readers may like to try my
pin it for later
Grandma's Quick & Thrifty Cookbook
Here are a few of the traditional sweet and baked recipes in this cookbook:
- Chocolate Pudding in Teacups
- Jam Roly Poly
- Plum Cobbler
- Baked Custard
- Apple Strudel
- Irish Soda Bread
- Big Fruity Tea Bun
- Date & Walnut Loaf
- Devil's Food Cake
- Grandma's Never-Fail Sponge
- Jam Drop Biscuits
- Gingersnap Biscuits
- Melting Moments
- Gingerbread Men
- Coconut Macaroons
Vegetarian Recipe Count:113 out of 200 recipes (with a change of stock in a couple of recipes)
Vegan Recipe Count: 22 out of 200 recipes
Grandma's Quick & Thrifty Cookbook
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Publisher: Reader's Digest
ISBN: 978-1780200019
Published: 4 Oct 2011
Size: 25.4 x 19.6 x 2.8 cm
For more Scottish recipes have a look at my recipe index ofScottish Recipes for Vegans and Vegetarians
gingerbread, old-fashion cake, old-fashioned baking, retro cake, grandma's cake recipes, treacle cake, treacle gingerbread, ginger bread, ginger cake, gingerbread cake, loaf cake
dessert
British
Yield: 8-10
Author: Jacqueline Meldrum (with kind permission)
Treacle Gingerbread Loaf
An old-fashioned moist, treacley gingerbread loaf. Just how grandma made it.
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 45 Mtotal time: 55 M
ingredients:
- 185g plain flour
- 110g self raising flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 3 tsp mixed spice
- 140g soft brown sugar
- 250g black treacle
- 185ml milk
- 80ml olive oil
- 2 large eggs
instructions:
How to cook Treacle Gingerbread Loaf
- Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/gas mark 4.
- Grease a 10cm x 20cm x7cm (1lb) loaf tin and line with baking parchment or greaseproof paper, ensuring that the paper extends 3cm above tin. (I used a loaf tin insert, which didn't rise above the tin and it was fine)
- Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and mixed spice in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar until well combined.
- Whisk the treacle, milk, olive oil and eggs in a jug. Add to the flour and stir until just combined.
- Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a cake skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
NOTES:
You may use golden syrup instead of treacle in this cake. The result is still spicy with a great flavour but a milder, paler cake.
Calories
312.59
Fat (grams)
11.17
Sat. Fat (grams)
2.01
Carbs (grams)
46.83
Fiber (grams)
1.09
Net carbs
45.74
Sugar (grams)
17.20
Protein (grams)
6.23
Sodium (milligrams)
199.98
Cholesterol (grams)
48.41
also try -gingerbread mug cake
Disclosure Statement: I received this book free from the publisher to review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
FAQs
These gingerbread men can be made with golden syrup or treacle. When made with treacle, the gingerbread has a darker colour and stronger flavour than when made with golden syrup. Most of the photos below are of gingerbread made with golden syrup; the darker coloured dough and biscuits are treacle-based gingerbread.
What can I use instead of treacle in ginger cake? ›
Honey: Similar in color, taste, and texture to golden syrup, honey is a good substitute for treacle. Look for a thick amber honey, rather than a super-light honey. Use the same amount of honey as you would golden syrup in a recipe.
Why does my gingerbread loaf sink in the middle? ›
LEAVENING AGENT
It can expire or lose its effectiveness even before the expiration date. Learn how to test your baking soda and powder for freshness here. Too much: If you accidentally overmeasure your baking soda or powder it can also cause your cake or loaf to sink in the middle.
Can I use molasses instead of treacle? ›
Molasses is slightly darker and more intensely flavoured than treacle. The sugar content of the two is comparable. In recipes where there is only a tablespoon or so of treacle, molasses will work. But if the recipe has a high treacle content, molasses may end up being too strong and bitter so be careful.
What did Americans substitute for treacle as an ingredient? ›
Treacle is a generic British term for any syrup made during the refining of sugar cane. Later, refined sugar became more affordable and overtook treacle as a sweetener. However, colonial Americans often substituted molasses for treacle in their recipes.
What does treacle do in cakes? ›
It gives a distinctively dark colour, burnt caramel flavour and moisture to baked dishes.
What is black treacle in America? ›
Molasses. Black treacle is often the British counterpart to North America's molasses. The two are similar in color and viscosity and used in the same way.
What is the American version of golden syrup? ›
In the U.S., golden syrup is usually sold under the name of light treacle, but it's not readily available in many grocery stores. In cooking recipes, molasses and light treacle are often used interchangeably because their textures and flavor profiles are similar.
Is dark molasses the same as treacle? ›
Both have a deep, aromatic flavour that adds a unique finish to food and drink recipes, but they are subtly different, with treacle tending to be a sweeter product that has less of a bitter profile than molasses. Compared to treacle, molasses is thicker in consistency and darker in colour.
Why is my gingerbread cake too dry? ›
If your gingerbread cake comes out dry, there could be a few reasons. Overbaking the cake, overmixing the cake, or the oven being too hot will lead to a dry cake.
Likewise, if your cake isn't brown enough it is likely because it is under-cooked or the recipe used insufficient egg or sugar.
Can you still eat a cake that has sunk? ›
If your cake was cooked to the proper temperature, chances are it is still edible even if it sunk in the center. Check that it's baked through the middle, then try a small piece of your cake. It might not taste good if the ingredient measurements were off. Notice the texture to make sure it's not too dense or spongy.
What is molasses called in the UK? ›
More commonly known as treacle or black treacle or, in the US as blackstrap molasses, molasses are essentially what is left over after cane sugar is boiled to produce sugar and most of the sugar has been extracted.
Is treacle healthier than sugar? ›
When the juice from the mashed sugarcane is boiled several times, you get a thick, black viscous liquid called Molasses. Clad by the vernacular name Black Treacle, molasses is a healthier alternative to refined sugar and is the basic component of brown sugar.
Is golden syrup the same as molasses? ›
Golden syrup, or light treacle, is a thick sugar syrup. With its golden, amber color, it is lighter than molasses, though the two are similar in their thickness. Golden syrup also a liquid sweetener, so 1 cup of golden syrup can replace 1 cup of molasses.
Can you swap treacle for golden syrup? ›
Can I use treacle instead of golden syrup? Yes, light treacle is the same as golden syrup. Molasses is also sometimes known as treacle or dark treacle and it can also be used as a substitute but has a stronger flavor and deeper color.
Are golden syrup and treacle the same thing? ›
Treacle (/ˈtriːkəl/) is any uncrystallised syrup made during the refining of sugar. The most common forms of treacle are golden syrup, a pale variety, and black treacle, a darker variety similar to molasses. Black treacle has a distinctively strong, slightly bitter flavor, and a richer color than golden syrup.
Why use black treacle in Christmas cake? ›
Do you need black treacle in a Christmas cake?
- It adds a delectable caramel flavour that perfectly complements the dried fruits and mixed spice in a Christmas cake.
- It helps keep the dried fruits plump and the cake moist, crucial for a scrumptious, melt-in-the-mouth experience.
Golden syrup and butter: when melted butter combines with golden syrup, the sweet, bubbling mixture informs your senses that golden Anzac biscuits are on the way. If you don't have golden syrup, you can use treacle instead.
