DIVINE Treacle Gingerbread Loaf

Holy heavens this gingerbread loaf is AMAZING! Dense, moist and filled with aromatic spices and the sweetness of brown sugar and treacle this is a wonderful alternative to banana bread or any sort of loaf that you enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!

I saw this recipe for a treacle gingerbread loaf on Johanna's blog and became quite fixated on the idea of making it. So much so that I picked up a jar of treacle that week and looked forward to making it. What I love about this recipe is that it is sooo easy and the result is so wholesome and delicious that it feels like you've expended a lot more effort than you have. It's basically mix wet ingredients in with dry using a spatula, bowl and jug.

Tips for Making Gingerbread Loaf

1 - Always toss your mix ins like fruit in a little flour and this will prevent them sinking to the bottom of the cake.

2 - If you don't have treacle, you can also use molasses. However I would use a bit more sugar as molasses is less sweet than treacle. I would actually swap the quantities around and use 250g/8.8ozs of brown sugar and 140g/5ozs molasses

3 - If you don't have ginger syrup you can use juice (lemon, orange or apple will do) or water.

I love this gingerbread as it's the sort of thing that you can serve up for afternoon tea, morning tea or even breakfast and it's also perfect for when friends or family come over. I love having people over now that we have more space and I always feel like I should have something home baked to serve them. You can slice it as thin or as thick as you want and it goes great with a cup of tea. I like heating it up a little and then spreading it with butter. Ireally like how dark it is and how earthy it looks.

Speaking of dark beauties, some of you have asked how Milo is settling in. He's such a delight and so far his favourite thing is playing (obviously) and he loves car rides. Teddy sits in his booster seat next to him tolerating the ride mainly for the resulting park visit but Milo sits up enthusiastically and looks out the window curiously. He even stands on the centre console as far as his seat belt will stretch and avidly watches the traffic and cars. He is like a little brown bear with soulful eyes and enormous paws that resemble bear paws (hence his name Milo Bear).

While Teddy has always attracted some attention during walks, people go absolutely go gaga over Milo. They coo over his playful bouncing walk and friendly manner but the number one thing that they remark on is his beautiful chocolate brown coat. However we have been told that his beautiful brown fur will lighten up and probably turn grey in a few months time which saddens us a little as he is so beautiful as he us. But for now we're enjoying his royal gorgeousness!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you like gingerbread? Have you ever tried gingerbread loaf?

Treacle Gingerbread Loaf

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott adapted from Grandma's Quick and Thrifty Cookbook

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Serves: 8 slices

• 300g/10.6ozs. cake flour*
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarb of soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon flaked salt
• Pinch cloves
• 100g/3.5ozs. crystallised or stem ginger, chopped plus 4 extra pieces for decorating
• 250g/8.8ozs treacle
• 140g/5ozs. brown sugar
• 200ml/7ozs. buttermilk
• 80ml/3flozs. oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature

For icing

• 150g/5.3ozs. icing or powdered sugar
• 2.5 tablespoons ginger syrup

Cake flour can be bought at the supermarket. You can also make it at home. To make 1 cup/150g/5.2ozs of cake flour replace 2 tablespoons of plain all purpose flour with cornflour/fine cornstarch and whisk well. I usually mix up a big batch of this and keep it in a container ready for baking cakes as it produces a softer texture.

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line a 19x10x11cms/7.5x4x4.3inch square loaf tin on the base and sides with parchment. Place the flour, baking powder, bicarb, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves in a bowl and whisk and then scoop out a couple of tablespoons of the flour and toss the ginger in this and set aside. Then in a large jug whisk the treacle, brown sugar, buttermilk, oil and eggs together. You may have to beat the mixture for a bit just to break up the egg yolks and treacle but it will form an emulsified batter.

Step 2 - Make a well in the flour mixture and gradually pour the wet mixture in stirring with a spatula. Do this slowly so that there are no lumps. Then mix in the floured ginger pieces and flour and then pour into the prepared tin. Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes, then bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until the centre springs back when pressed (the centre may sink, that's fine). Cool in the tin for 15 minutes then cool on a cake rack.

Step 3 - Place the icing sugar in a food processor and process until all lumps disappear. Add the ginger syrup one tablespoon at a time adding the last 1/2 tablespoon if you need it. It should be a pourable but not thin icing. Spoon over the top of the loaf and then add 4 ginger pieces. Slice into thick slices and serve with room temperature butter.