Name: Sticky Ginger and Date Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients: 125g unsalted butter; 60g dark brown or soft brown sugar; 110g golden syrup; 90g black treacle; ¼ teaspoon fine salt; 3 eggs; 150ml semi-skimmed milk; 2 pieces stem ginger, chopped; 225g plain/all-purpose flour; 2½ teaspoons baking powder; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder; 125g chopped dates; extra golden syrup, or syrup from the stem ginger, to brush on the cooked cake

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Rich, moist and bursting with with ginger and dates, this fabulous cake, not only lasts well, but, if you can bear to wait, it tastes even better after a couple of days. It is outstanding with a cup of tea and fabulous served as dessert with caramel sauce and ice cream or a generous portion of custard.

Where is this recipe from?

This recipe is very slightly adapted from the wonderful Sarah’s Slice. Sarah shares many cake and cookie recipes based on those she developed and perfected whilst owning a cafe in Cumbria. You should definitely take a look at her fabulous website and insta account. Everything I have tried, has been FANTASTIC! For the original recipe, see here.

How to make Ginger and Date Cake

Collect all your ingredients together:

unsalted butter
dark brown or soft brown sugar
golden syrup
black treacle
fine salt
eggs
semi-skimmed milk
stem ginger, chopped
plain/all-purpose flour
baking powder
ground ginger
cinnamon powder
chopped dates
extra golden syrup or syrup from the stem ginger to brush on the cooked cake

How to make this fabulous cake:

Weigh the butter, golden syrup, black treacle, sugar and salt into a saucepan. Melt over a moderate heat and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring from time to time, until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool for 15 – 20 minutes.
Meanwhile mix the milk and eggs and chop the stem ginger.
Sieve the flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon powders into the saucepan and add the egg and milk mix.
Mix thoroughly with a balloon whisk and fold in the chopped dates and stem ginger.
Divide between either the 1 x 900g/2lb lined loaf tin or the 2 x 450g/1 lb loaf tins. If dividing between 2 tins, each tin should have around 530g – 535g of cake batter.
Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for 45 – 55 minutes, for the smaller size, or 55 – 65 minutes for the larger size. It is cooked when:
- the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains.
- a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin.
Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then, using the greaseproof paper over-hang, transfer to a cooling rack and set aside until completely cool.

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.

Sticky Ginger and Date Cake

900g loaf or 2 x 450g loaves

Course afternoon tea, Morning Coffee, treat

Cuisine British

Keyword cake, dates, Ginger

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter
60g dark brown or soft brown sugar
110g golden syrup
90g black treacle
¼ teaspoon fine salt
3 eggs
150ml semi-skimmed milk
2 pieces stem ginger, chopped
225g plain/all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
125g chopped dates
extra golden syrup, or syrup from the stem ginger, to brush on the cooked cake

Instructions

Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Preheat oven to fan 140°C/160°C/320°F/Gas 3 and grease and line 1 x 900g/2lb loaf tin or 2 x 450g/1 lb loaf tins with greaseproof paper. Alternatively, use cake tin liner(s).
Weigh the butter, golden syrup, black treacle, sugar and salt into a saucepan. Melt over a moderate heat and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring from time to time, until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool for 15 – 20 minutes.
Meanwhile mix the milk and eggs and chop the stem ginger.
Sieve the flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon powders into the saucepan and add the egg and milk mix.
Mix thoroughly with a balloon whisk and fold in the chopped dates and stem ginger.
Divide between either the 1 x 900g/2lb lined loaf tin or the 2 x 450g/1 lb loaf tins. If dividing between 2 tins, each tin should have around 530g – 535g of cake batter.
Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for 45 – 55 minutes, for the smaller size, or 55 – 65 minutes for the larger size. It is cooked when:
– the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains.
– a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
– the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin.
Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then, using the greaseproof paper over-hang, transfer to a cooling rack and set aside until completely cool.