Ginger cake - a spicy British classic

A classic from my grandmother's recipe book which unlike the rich, dark ginger loaf cakes favoured by many, is a light and moist cake made with golden syrup and lots of ginger.

This was originally made using lard, probably due to war time rationing. I would suggest butter these days.

There are also no eggs in this recipe, probably for the same reason, but the bicarbonate of soda keeps it light and the golden syrup keeps it moist.

I have halved the recipe for a 20cm cake tin.

Preheat the oven to 160ºC and line the base of a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper.

225g plain flour

60g demerara sugar

60g unsalted butter

½ tbsp ground ginger

½ tsp salt

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

125ml golden syrup

125 ml milk

Rub the butter into the flour - check out my scone recipe if you're not sure how to do this - then add the sugar, salt and ground ginger.

Heat the milk in a saucepan and add the golden syrup and bicarbonate of soda. Warm through, stirring to combine, and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix well. Put into your tin and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

When the time is up, I was taught to put a skewer into the middle, and if it comes out clean, it's done! If not, give it another 5 minutes.

Leave it in the tin for 20 minutes or so before turning out.

Rock Buns

My grandmother calls this an 'afternoon tea special' but I would call it a Rock Bun, something I learned to make in ‘Domestic Science’ class at school in England.

War time rationing dictated that it contain little butter and sugar, a cupful of milk and a dried egg. I have followed her recipe to the letter, (apart from the dried egg) although these days two eggs and less milk seems to be the norm.

This is similar to a fruity scone but no cutters are needed. Simply roughly pile the mixture onto a baking tray and it will come out looking like a rock! Best eaten warm from the oven with loads of butter and even jam!

450g plain flour

3 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

50g butter, softened

50g caster sugar

125g sultanas or chopped dates

1 egg, beaten

200ml milk

Preheat the oven to 200ºC

Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof paper

Sieve the flour with the baking powder and salt. Beat together the butter and sugar and add the beaten egg with a spoonful of the flour mixture. Then alternately add the rest of the flour mixture and milk. When combined, stir in the fruit.

You should now have a soft dough which you can ‘chop in lumps’ and place on the baking tray. Shake a little sugar on the top, demerara gives a good crunch if you have it.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, (depending on the size of your buns) or ‘until well browned’.

Gooseberry Jam

An age-old fruit with a short growing season, gooseberries can be hard to come by. Try farmers markets or friendly neighbours who sometimes have a bush or two. The berries are usually green, but you can sometimes get red or yellow varieties.

Gooseberries are high in pectin, meaning the jam will set very quickly and it is very easy to make. As a result, I make this every year as my family love it and it is not easy to find in the shops. It has a sweet, tart flavour and is superb on homemade scones or even your morning toast.

I found this gooseberry and elderflower jam recipe stuck into my grandmother’s note book. The two go very well together and if you can gather some elderflowers from a nearby hedgerow, so much the better. But don't forget to wash them!

And here is my recipe – no elderflowers!

1 kg gooseberries – washed, topped and tailed

1 kg granulated sugar

150 ml water

Wash your jam jars in hot soapy water, rinse and place in a low oven for about 10 minutes or until they are dry.

Put a plate in the freezer.

Have a look at 'all you need to know about making jam' to learn about testing for set and tips on sterilising and filling the jars.

Put the gooseberries into a large saucepan or preserving pan with the water and simmer until soft – about 10 minutes.

Add the sugar to pan and heat slowly until dissolved. Then bring to the boil for 8-10 minutes. If you think it might be catching on the bottom, give it a quick stir but be careful, as the jam will be very hot.

Remove your plate from the freezer and test for set by putting a small amount of the jam on to the cold plate. Push your finger across it and if it wrinkles, it is ready. If not, give it another five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in a knob of butter. This will get rid of any scum that has formed. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before putting into warm sterilised jars.

Makes about 5 jars.