This is a rich, warmly spiced gingerbread cake recipe from my Canadian childhood. This remarkably light and fluffy cake is served with a generous spoonful of warm lemon sauce, just as they did in the village potluck suppers I used to attend as a child.
Preheat your oven to 180 °C/ 160 °C fan/ 350 °F and grease and line a 9-inch square cake tin.
Cream together 150 grams butter and 2 tbsp granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in 1 large free-range egg until well combined.
Add 130 grams golden syrup, 200 grams black treacle and 250 ml boiling water and stir well.
Sift over 350 grams plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1/2 tsp Shetland sea salt, 1 tsp ground ginger and 1 tsp ground cinnamon.
Stir until well combined (there should be no lumps of flour).
Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
To prepare the lemon sauce, combine 125 grams granulated sugar, 30 grams butter and the juice of 1 lemon (around 30 ml) in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Turn the heat down and simmer, stirring constantly, for five minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and add 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Serve over slices of warm gingerbread cake.
Notes
Tips for reheating: this cake also tastes delicious cold, but if both the cake and sauce have cooled, spoon a bit of the sauce over a slice of cake and microwave for 15-20 seconds.Tips for using Crosby's Molasses: replace the black treacle and golden syrup in this recipe for one cup of Crosby's molasses.Can I replace the butter with shortening? This recipe was originally made with Crisco shortening, but I prefer the taste of butter.