Frances Bissell's Ginger Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tablespoon dried ginger
• 1 teaspoon each cinnamon and mixed spice
• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 cup molasses or black treacle
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup light or dark muscovado sugar
• 11/4 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons chopped preserved stem ginger or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Line and grease 2 a pound terrine or loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the dry ingredients together. Rub in the butter. Melt the molasses, syrup and honey. Dissolve the sugar in the milk, heating gently. Allow to cool, then add the liquids to the dry ingredients. Add the ginger and the eggs. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The cake is cooked when a skewer inserted in the middle and held there for 10 seconds comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan completely, before removing and wrapping in greaseproof paper and foil. The cake keeps well and freezes.