This cake batter, while it's sticky and dense, is easy to prepare, though the cooking time is long, about an hour. Once cook, keep the cake well-wrapped for a week before cutting to allow the rich flavours of treacle and ginger to marry together.

Ingredients

• 3½ cups flour
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon baking bowder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1¼ cups Demerara sugar
• 175 grams butter
• ½ cup treacle
• ½ cup golden syrup
• ½ cup milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup crystallised ginger, finely sliced

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm square cake tin with baking paper. Set the oven rack in the middle of the oven or just below the middle.
2. Sift the flour, ginger, baking powder and soda and salt together 3 times, to evenly distribute the raising agents and the spices, the last time into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre.
3. Heat the butter in a saucepan until just melted and stir in the treacle and golden syrup. Remove from the heat and quickly beat in the milk and eggs. Slowly pour into the well and gradually stir with a wooden spoon to make a smooth, sticky batter. Transfer to the prepared cake tin and scatter over the crystallised ginger.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 15-20 minutes before turning out on a cake rack to cool completely. Once cold, wrap and store in an airtight container. Delicious served in thick pieces topped with a slice of Cheddar-style cheese.