GINGER CAKE

225g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
100g butter, cut into cubes
100g dark muscovado sugar
100g black treacle
100g golden syrup
250ml milk
85g stem ginger from a jar, drained and finely chopped
1 egg

Preheat oven; fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 4. Butter and line a 18cm round deep cake tin with greaseproof paper (I use ready made cake tin liners). Put the flour, bicarb and spices into a large bowl and rub butter into the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs (a few quick pulses in a food processor can do this)
Heat gently the syrup, treacle, sugar and milk in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Turn up heat and bring ALMOST to the boil.
Add the grated ginger to the flour mixture, then pour in the treacle mixture stirring continuously. Crack in the egg and beat until mixture is combined. Pour into tin and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out fairly clean. Leave to cool completely before tuning out.
*This can be served as a cake or sliced and spread with butter.
Very nice with a little lemon icing drizzled over the top.
It will keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight tin or can be frozen (un-iced) in greaseproof paper and cling film for up to a month.