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There is something about a slice of Jamaican Ginger Cake that I just love. The warming blend of spices and sweet molasses flavour is such a perfect combination. Coupled with that incredibly moist, melt-in-the-mouth sticky texture, it’s a perfect slice of cake in my opinion.
One of the (many) things I love about Jamaican Ginger Cake is how simple it is to make. It is one of my favourite recipes for the colder months as the spices make it so cosy and comforting. It uses just one saucepan and one mixing bowl so has minimal washing up. Actually, sometimes I use a large saucepan for the melting and mix everything in there to save on washing up. This post will show you exactly what to do to make the perfect Jamaican ginger cake.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- It is super simple to make. The perfect easy baking recipe.
- It is ideal for autumn and winter when you want a cosy, comforting treat.
- It is full of delicious flavours and textures. Imagine a spiced, sticky ginger cake, with hints of sweet caramel, topped with creamy buttercream.
- It uses budget-friendly ingredients which you are likely to already have at home.
- It improves with time so it is ideal to make ahead.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Treacle – this is a thick, dark syrup with a sweet, slightly bitter, flavour. It is similar to molasses, but not quite as thick and bitter.
Milk – opt for whole (full fat) milk for best results.
Self-raising flour – also known as ‘self-rising flour’.
Ground ginger – make sure your jar of ground ginger isn’t old and out of date! This weakens the flavours and you want this cake to really have a ginger flavour.
Substitutions and Variations:
Soft light brown sugar: you can swap for soft dark brown sugar if that is what you have. Soft dark brown sugar will have an ever deeper molasses-toffee flavour.
Spices: obviously ground ginger is non-negotiable in a sticky ginger cake. However, the other spices are flexible. A generous pinch of mixed spice or a little ground nutmeg works well.
Stem ginger in syrup: for a stronger ginger flavour, sprinkle some finely chopped stem ginger through the batter.
Crystallised ginger: sprinkle with chopped crystallised ginger for a pretty decoration, if desired.
Here’s how to make a perfectly sticky Jamaican ginger cake:
This is a simple step-by-step guide to help you make this easy cake. As usual, the full recipe is below in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
ONE: Preheat the oven to 160C Fan. Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with non-stick baking paper. In a medium-sized saucepan, add the butter, sugar and treacle.
TWO: Place over a low heat and melt gently. Keep stirring until the butter has melted, the sugar has dissolved and the ingredients have combined. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
THREE: Pour the butter-sugar mix into a large bowl and beat in the eggs.
FOUR: Followed by the milk. Mix until combined.
FIVE: Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, sea salt, ginger, cinnamon and ground cloves (or allspice). Mix until just combined and no floury lumps remain – don’t overmix as this will cause the cake to be dense.
SIX: Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 40 minutes – or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
SEVEN: Once the cake has cooled, make the ginger icing: sieve the icing sugar and a pinch of ginger into a large mixing bowl. Gradually add splashes of water, mixing until you have a smooth, thick icing.
EIGHT: Set the loaf onto a flat plate and spoon over the icing. Leave to set before cutting into slices and serving. Enjoy!
An unusual cake batter
A word of warning: the batter does look quite unlike other cake batters you might have made in the past. But you just have to trust the process! It’s not a creamed thick batter, it should kind of be the consistency of batter, like an American pancake batter.
I’ve tried it with more flour and the consistency of the cake just wasn’t right. You need a lot of liquid to get it nice and sticky. Trust me, this works, it just does look a bit strange when it goes in the oven!
Cooking Tips:
Squeezy bottle: although treacle traditionally comes in tins, try to hunt out a squeezy bottle. It makes it so much easier to measure.
One pan cake: if you want to minimise washing up, melt the butter, sugar and treacle in a large saucepan. You can then use it in place of a mixing bowl once you have allowed it to cool slightly.
Don’t overmix the batter: you want to mix in the dry ingredients until just combined and no floury lumps remain. Don’t beat it too vigorously or you will end up with a dense Jamaican Ginger Cake!
Icing: add the water very gradually to avoid the ginger icing from becoming too runny. If you do add a little too much, simply sift in more icing sugar. You may wish to add a bit more ground ginger to achieve the right balance of flavour.
Make ahead: if you can, try to leave your sticky ginger cake for a day or so. It will only improve in flavour and texture over time. I promise, it is worth the wait! You will end up with a deliciously sticky ginger cake with a deep spiced flavour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ground ginger gives heat and spice, which is why I use it. I find stem ginger adds sweetness so I like to use stem ginger as decoration on top.
Yes! In fact, I would encourage you to make the cake ahead. Like gingerbread cake, the flavour and texture improve over time. Waiting a day or so will give an even softer sticky ginger cake with a deeper ginger flavour.
I like to cut into thick slices. You can warm them slightly in the microwave to soften it a bit further. Alternatively, a slice of sticky ginger cake with warm custard makes a very delicious pudding.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for around 5-6 days. This cake lasts longer than other bakes; it actually gets more sticky the longer it sits, which I find makes it more delicious.
Yes, you can freeze before the icing. Wrap tightly in clingfilm and a layer of foil once cool. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature until totally thawed. Then ice it before serving (or skip the icing, it’s still delicious without!
Yes, you can use dark brown sugar and golden syrup in place, but the flavour will be lighter and less intense. I would use about 100g soft dark brown sugar and 80g golden syrup in place. Treacle or molasses is best though for best texture and taste.
It’s inspired by Jamaica’s use of rich molasses, warming spices, and ginger, which give the cake its distinctive flavour and sticky texture.
Yes, if you don’t have a 2lb loaf tin, ideally use a 23cm (9 inch) round tin. 22cm would work too. It might not need as long in the oven. Start with 30 minutes, test it and see. The skewer should come out clean when inserted into the middle, if it’s cooked.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you like this sticky ginger cake, try my Microwave Syrup Sponge, my Lemon Loaf Cake or my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.
Easy Baking Recipes
Chocolate Fudge Cake
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Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies
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Homemade Chocolate Marshmallows
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Apple Puff Pastry Tart
If you tried this Jamaican Ginger Cake or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a comment and let us know how it went!
Jamaican Ginger Cake
Ingredients
For the Jamaican ginger cake:
- 150 g unsalted butter, diced
- 150 g soft light brown sugar
- 180 g treacle
- 250 ml full-fat milk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 200 g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 heaped tbsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground cloves or allspice
For the ginger icing:
- 200 g icing sugar
- Pinch ground ginger
- Splash of cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C Fan. Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with non-stick baking paper.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, add the butter, sugar and treacle. Place over a low heat and melt gently. Keep stirring until the butter has melted, the sugar has dissolved and the ingredients have combined. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
- Pour the butter-sugar mix into a large bowl and beat in the eggs to combine. Add the milk and stir. Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, sea salt, ginger, cinnamon and ground cloves (or allspice). Mix until just combined and no floury lumps remain – don’t overmix as this will cause the cake to be dense.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 40 minutes – or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Once the cake has cooled, make the ginger icing: sieve the icing sugar and a pinch of ginger into a large mixing bowl. Gradually add splashes of water, mixing until you have a smooth, thick icing.
- Set the loaf onto a flat plate and spoon over the icing. Leave to set before cutting into slices and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very Satisfied!!!
Love The GInger Cake What Ive Made
THanks
Faizy
This was delicious and was able to make gluten free with GF flour and ground almonds. A hit in my household. Easy to make!