Look What The Mamas Made!

Back in 1986, I gave Liz her first cookbook. Although she hadn't started school, she was a competent reader, and enjoyed helping in the kitchen.
She still has this little book on her kitchen shelf, and occasionally cooks something from it.
I suspect Rosie will be using it in a few years' time. 
The book has simple recipes, well explained and laid out beautifully, so they are easy to follow.
Last week Liz sent me a picture of a cake she had made - Marmalade Gingerbread 

It did look delicious. Not to be outdone, I decided to bake one too! They look pleasingly similar.
I cut it in half and froze some, and put the other in a tin to be enjoyed

I suspect if it had all gone into the tin, it might have all gone in a day or two.
The ginger heat and the orange tang of the marmalade come through beautifully


This isn't the sort of gingerbread with a 'snap' as Paul H referred to on the GBBO, nor is it a sticky ginger cake as made by McVities. It is just a very pleasant, homely cake, to accompany a cup of tea!

Here's the recipe [mine didn't take the full hour to cook]

Ingredients

8oz (225g) self-raising flour
1 beaten egg
3oz (75g) butter/margarine
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
5oz (150g) golden syrup
8oz (225g) chunky marmalade
1 tbsp hot water
a pinch of salt

Other stuff
7″ (18cm) square cake tin, greased & lined
Oven setting: 325°F / 170°C / Gas Mark 3
Cooking time: one hour [or maybe less!]

Method

1. Cut up the butter, put it in a saucepan with the syrup and melt them over a low heat.
2. Sift the flour, ginger, salt and cinnamon into a bowl. Make a hollow in the centre.
3. Slowly pour the syrup mixture into the hollow, stirring in the flour from the sides as you do so.
4. Add the marmalade, egg and water and mix everything together. The mixture should be soft and drop off a spoon easily. If it is stiff, add more water.
5. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and spread it out evenly with a knife.
6. Bake the cake on the centre shelf of the oven for an hour.
7. The cake is done when it is golden brown and the centre feels springy to the touch. If you push a skewer into the centre of the cake it should come out clean.
8. Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes then turn it out on to a wire cooling rack.

I forgot to ask Liz if Rosie has sampled the cake and if she enjoyed it- she is learning to appreciate all sorts of foods now!