Stem Ginger Cake (Fete Bake)

Any variety of ginger cake was always welcome in my childhood home.  I love making it just for the aroma in the kitchen and the memories it brings back.  Along with bread pudding these are the cakes I find irresistible in tea shops.  This one in particular is a favourite that also works well as a dessert accompanied with ice-cream.

Ingredients:  to fill an 8 inch (20cm) round cake tin (not loose bottomed)

8oz (225g) self-raising flour	4oz (115g) dark muscovado sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda	4oz (115g) black treacle
1 tbsp ground ginger	4oz (115g) golden syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon	9fl oz (250ml) whole milk
1 tsp ground mixed spice	3oz (85g)  drained stem ginger, finely grated
4oz (115g) butter, cut into cubes	large egg

Method:

1. Heat oven to 180°C/I6O°C fan/gas 4. Butter and line the cake tin with greaseproof paper or baking parchment
2. Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and all of the spices into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour with fingertips until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Put the sugar, treacle, syrup and milk in a medium saucepan and heat, gently stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and bring the mix to just below boiling point
4. Add the stem ginger to the flour mix, then pour in the treacle mix, stirring as you go with a wooden spoon.
5. Break in the egg and beat until all the mix is combined and it resembles a thick pancake batter. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for approx 1 hr, until a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake comes out fairly clean.

If serving as a cake, allow to cool completely before removing from the tin.  If using as a dessert, allow to cool slightly  and remove carefully from the tin.  This cake keeps well for up to two weeks in an airtight (Official Taster proof) container.  Alternatively you can make it well in advance and freeze it.