Ginger & Marmalade Syrup Cake

Deliciously moist and sweet with just a hint of ginger, this simple cake is hard to resist and can be dressed up or left plain. The method and ingredients are slightly unusual as you melt the sugar and butter before adding the dry ingredients - but this actually saves a lot of  beating and makes the cake very easy to stir together. It's a recipe which I dug out from one of Mum's old cookbooks and keep coming back to as it's so addictive. 

Melt 110g brown sugar, 85g margarine, 85g golden syrup and 85g marmalade over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, mix together 225g plain flour, a pinch of salt, ½ tablespoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.

Once the melted syrup mixture has cooled a little, mix into the flour. Don't worry if it goes a bit lumpy or curdled looking. Finally, mix in 1 egg and ½ pint of milk - again, don't worry about how the batter looks.

Pour into a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin then bake at 170ºC for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check it after half an hour to see how it is doing - cover with foil if it looks like it might burn on top.

To give the cake an extra marmalade taste, melt 2 tablespoons of marmalade over a low heat. Take a piece of spaghetti and use to dot the cake with little holes so that the melted marmalade can seep in. Pour the melted marmalade over the top as soon as the cake comes out of the oven.

You can leave the cake with this simple glaze, or top with a cream-cheese frosting. The cake will keep in a tin for over a week (without the cream cheese frosting). The flavours get better with age - not that it usually lasts more than a few days once baked!