Damp Gingerbread

Photo: flickr user armigeress

Ingredients

9 tablespoons butter (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon, see note)

cup Lyle's Golden Syrup (12 ounces)

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

teaspoon salt

teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger, or more to taste

teaspoon ground cloves

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 inch round pan (2 inches deep) and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Melt the butter with the syrup.

Into a mixing bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves and cinnamon. Pour the syrup and butter into the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the egg and milk. Beat well. The batter will be very liquid. Pour it into the pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes. (The middle should be just set, with the edge pulling away from the pan, and a tester will bring out a few crumbs.) Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out.

Note: Use real butter or stick margarine. Do not substitute reduced-fat spreads; their higher water content often yields less-satisfactory results.

"Book of Cakes" by Delia Smith