Golden Syrup Upside-Down Cake

with a hint of ginger

This upside-down cake doesn’t look like much, but it smells and tastes deliciously of sticky dark brown sugar and baked golden syrup. There’s just a hint of ginger for warmth, and it’s sensational eaten while still a little warm from the oven with some cream or vanilla ice cream. It’s a sticky, stodgy cake that suits the autumn and winter seasons perfectly, relying on that childhood favourite, golden syrup, for flavour. Peel away the baking parchment carefully once it has cooled in the tin to prevent the syrupy cake getting stuck to it and falling apart when it’s still hot and crumbly.

Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS

  • FOR THE TOPPING
  • 200g golden syrup
  • FOR THE CAKE
  • 200g unsalted butter
  • 125g golden syrup
  • 100g soft dark brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 220g soft cake and pastry flour (or plain flour)
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 2-3 tsp ground ginger
  • 100ml milk

METHOD

Grease and line a spring-form 20cm cake tin with baking parchment. Pour the syrup for the topping into the lined cake tin evenly, and set to one side.

Preheat your oven to 160°C. Melt the butter and golden syrup together over a medium heat in a small saucepan.

Measure the sugar out into a large mixing bowl, pour in the golden syrup and butter mix, and combine using an electric hand whisk until the sugar has melted in and the mixture has cooled. Add the eggs one at a time, beating continually.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and ground ginger, to ensure even distribution of raising agents. Add this into the mixture and combine, followed by the milk. You should have a fairly liquid cake batter.

Pour the batter over the top of the golden syrup layer in the base of the tin, and bake for 50-60 minutes until a metal skewer comes out clean (due to the sticky nature of the cake their may still be a few crumbs which is fine). Leave it to cool in the tin for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

To serve, turn the cake upside down so that the syrup layer is on top, and carefully remove the baking parchment and springform cake tin. Eat on it’s own, or with some cream or vanilla ice cream for a warm dessert.

If stored in an airtight container the cake will keep for up to five days.