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? ›
If you don't have treacle then you can use molasses as an alternative. We would not use extra sugar instead of the treacle as treacle is an invert sugar, which particularly helps to keep the cake moist.
Why use black treacle in Christmas cake? ›
It has a robust flavour similar to Cane Treacle, with a more rounded, smoother flavour than molasses. Black treacle is a thick, dark, sugar syrup which is used in rich bakery products, Christmas puddings, rich fruit cakes, toffees, savoury sauces and marinades for cooking.
Why does my gingerbread loaf sink in the middle? ›
Too much: If you accidentally overmeasure your baking soda or powder it can also cause your cake or loaf to sink in the middle. High altitude: If you're baking at a higher altitude you'll need less leavening to achieve the same result as sea level. Without proper altitude adjustments, your products may sink.
What's the difference between treacle and molasses? ›
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.
What does treacle do in cakes? ›
To most, black treacle is known as a slightly smoother version of molasses that some refer to as having a caramelised toffee taste. In industrial applications, black treacle is used as a liquid sweetener, natural colourant and flavouring for sauces, baked products, confectionery and desserts.
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 a substitute for molasses in gingerbread cake? ›
9 best molasses substitutes
- Honey.
- Maple syrup.
- Dark corn syrup.
- Sorghum syrup.
- Golden syrup.
- Brown sugar.
- Black treacle.
- Simple syrup.
Find out how to buy, store and cook with molasses. 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.
What is traditionally hidden in Christmas cake? ›
Whoever finds the fava bean in their slice is considered to have good luck for the coming year. Additionally, a small trinket or figurine is sometimes hidden in the cake, and the person who finds it is said to be the "king" or "queen" of the celebration.
Treacle and molasses taste similar, so they make great substitutes.
Is black treacle the same as molasses? ›
Black treacle is a sweeter product, lacking the slightly bitter flavour that molasses brings to the table. Molasses is thicker than black treacle, which has a comparatively runny consistency. Black treacle is slightly runnier than molasses.
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.
Why is my cake pale yellow and not golden brown? ›
Likewise, if your cake isn't brown enough it is likely because it is under-cooked or the recipe used insufficient egg or sugar.
Why is my Victoria sponge not light and fluffy? ›
Make sure that all of the ingredients are at room temperature so that they combine easily. Cold ingredients can lead to a dense and heavy cake.
What is a substitute for golden syrup in gingerbread? ›
Golden syrup - if you're unable to buy golden syrup then you can substitute it for corn syrup, honey or maple syrup. Egg yolk - use just the egg yolk (rather than the whole egg) to make the perfect gingerbread cookie mixture!
Are treacle and golden syrup interchangeable? ›
Treacle has a richer colour and a stronger flavour to Golden Syrup and is not quite so sweet. You can use it to replace Golden Syrup in many recipes but it is often used alongside Golden Syrup in recipes.
Can you swap treacle for golden syrup? ›
While the sugar content is comparable to golden syrup, the flavour have more deeply caramelised bitter notes. It wouldn't be my first choice – but if you do have treacle – I'd start by using half treacle and making the rest up with one of the other milder flavoured options listed above.
Can I use treacle instead of molasses for gingerbread? ›
Black treacle has a more rounded and softer taste than molasses, making it perfect for a diverse range of sweet goods like Christmas puddings, fruit cakes and gingerbread, as well as liquorice and treacle toffee.
