Gingerbread

Dark and sticky
a traditional autumn loafcake

Gingerbread is a great loafcake for Hallowe'en parties or winter picnics. Dark and sticky, it's particularly good spread with a little butter.

Make it in a loaf tin (900g) or double the quantity and make two because it freezes well.

You should also make it a few days before you want to eat it because it tends to get better on keeping. Store it in a sealed container.

For one loafcake you will need:

• 225g of plain flour
• half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• one and a half teaspoons of ground Allspice (nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves)
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• one tablespoon of ground ginger
• a pinch of salt
• 100g butter
• 100g brown sugar
• 350g black treacle
• 3 eggs

Use a non-stick loaf tin or line one with buttered greaseproof paper.

Sift the flour into a bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and spices and salt.

Heat the butter, sugar and black treacle in a deep, heavy saucepan until it has all melted. Then bring to the boil.

Whisk the eggs in another bowl until they are frothy and then pour on the boiling treacle and continue to whisk.

Pour this mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Then pour into the prepared loaftin.

Bake in a warm oven of 170 degrees C or Gas 3 for about an hour and three-quarters. A little less time will make the gingerbread stickier, so if that's what you prefer turn the oven off after 90 minutes instead of 105.

Leave the cake in the turned-off oven until cold and then turn out and store for a few days before eating.