Dark and Sticky Gingerbread

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Oven-baked gingerbread should be kept for a few days before eating to allow the flavours to mature. Luckily, this isn't necessary when it's made in the slow cooker as the long, slow cooking means it can be eaten as soon as it has cooled.

Serves 4

50 g/2 oz/¼ cup butter or sunflower magarine
75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup light brown sugar
40 g/1½ oz black treacle (molasses)
40 g/1½ oz golden (light corn) syrup
75 g/3 oz/¾ cup self-raising flour
5 ml/1 tsp ground ginger
1 egg, lightly beaten
25 g/1 oz chopped preserved ginger (optional)
1.5 ml/¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
100 ml/3½ oz/scant ½ cup milk


  1. Place an upturned saucer or a metal pastry (paste) cutter in the base of the ceramic cooking pot. Pour in about 5 cm/2 in of hot (not boiling) water, then turn on the slow cooker to High. Grease a 13-15 cm/5-6 in round fixed-base cake tin or soufflé dish and line the base with greaseproof (waxed) paper or baking parchment.
  2. Cut the butter or margarine into chunks and put in a heatproof bowl (check first that it will fit comfortably in the ceramic cooking pot). Add the sugar, treacle and syrup. Cover with a lid and leave for 15 minutes or until the butter has melted.
  3. Remove the bowl from the slow cooker and stir the melted ingredients together. Sift the flour and ginger over and stir into the mixture with the egg and chopped ginger, if using.
  4. Blend the bicarbonate of soda with a little of the milk, then stir in the rest of the milk. Add to the bowl and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin or dish and cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) or lightly greased foil. Place in the cooking pot on top of the saucer or pastry cutter.
  5. Pour in enough boiling water to come about half-way up the side of the tin or dish. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the slow cooker and allow to stand on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then turn out and leave to cool. Peel off the lining paper. Store in an airtight tin for up to 5 days.


Cook's tips
This cake is also delicious served as a dessert with custard.
Use this recipe to make a sticky cinnamon cake by leaving out the ginger and substituting 5 ml/1 tsp of ground cinnamon. Use extra golden syrup instead of the black treacle or molasses.