Moist Gingerbread Loaf Recipe Mary Berry
Made with black treacle gently spiced with ground ginger and cinnamon, and studded with crystallized ginger, this moist gingerbread loaf recipe by Mary Berry is delightful even without any topping!
Ingredients
- 250 g (8 oz) butter or margarine for lactose-free, softened
- 250 g (8 oz) dark muscovado sugar
- 112 g (½ tin) black treacle
- 375 g (12 oz) plain flour
- 5 tsp ground ginger
- t tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs beaten
- 3 pieces stem crystallised (candied) ginger finely minced (optional)
- 300 ml (½ pint) milk unsweetened soya milk if lactose-free
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Instructions
- This recipe yields enough batter to fill two standard 7-inch Victoria sandwich tins or one 10-inch diameter tin. Grease and line your tin(s) with baking paper. Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F / Gas Mark 3).
- Gently heat the margarine, sugar, and treacle together in a pan, stirring until the mixture becomes smooth. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and ground spices. Pour in the treacle mixture and thoroughly stir to blend. Finely mince the stem ginger and incorporate it with the eggs into the mixture.
- Warm the milk gently in a saucepan, taking care to stir gently to prevent burning at the base of the pan. Add the bicarbonate of soda and allow it to foam slightly. Stir this mixture into the gingerbread mixture until it's well blended.
- Pour the gingerbread batter into the prepared tin(s).
- If using two 7-inch cake tins, bake for 25-30 minutes (both tins together). For a single 10-inch cake, bake for approximately 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- This cake retains its quality when stored in an airtight tin and even improves in flavour over the first 2-3 days. Enjoy the delightful transformation!
Notes
Recipe Notes:
- Tips:
- Vegan: Use plant-based milk (1:1) and 3/4 oil; adjust liquid if using flax eggs.
- Wholemeal Flour: Start with half wholemeal and add extra liquid.
- Reducing Sugar: Reduce by 1/4 to 1/3 and test texture.
- Storing: The cake's taste and texture tend to get better with time, so don't hesitate to savour it over a few days!
- Serving: Enjoy Mary Berry's Gingerbread with tea; add whipped cream, orange sauce, or powdered sugar. Double the recipe to share joy.
- Butter: Use softened butter or replace 1 cup of butter with 3/4 cup olive oil.
- Sugar: Use dark muscovado sugar or brown sugar.
- Black Treacle: Use black treacle or replace with an equal amount of molasses.
- Flour: Use plain flour with added bicarbonate of soda, or wholemeal flour with an extra 2 tbsp of milk, or a half-and-half mix with 1 tbsp of extra milk.
- Spices: Use ground ginger and cinnamon.
- Eggs: Use large eggs.
- Stem Ginger: Optionally add finely minced candied ginger.
- Milk: Use any cow's milk or unsweetened soy milk for a dairy-free option.
- Dried Fruits (Optional): Add raisins or cranberries for a festive twist.