Ingredients:
150 g unsalted butter
175 g soft light brown sugar
2 tablespoons black treacle (or molasses)
225 g plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
150 ml milk
1 large egg, beaten
2 dessert apples, peeled, cored and chopped, then soaked in
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F/Gas 3). Grease a deep 9-inch (23 cm) square cake tin and line it with greaseproof paper or baking parchment — the tin needs to be fairly deep because the cake will rise.
Melt the butter, brown sugar and black treacle together over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Sift the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the milk, beaten egg and the cooled treacle mixture. Stir gently until just combined.
Drain the chopped apples from the lemon juice and fold them into the batter with a light hand so the fruit is evenly distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a spatula.
Bake at 160°C (325°F/Gas 3) for 30–35 minutes. Check with a skewer: it should come out clean when the cake is done. Depending on your oven and the depth of the tin, the cake may need an additional 5–10 minutes. If the edges are browning too quickly, cover loosely with a piece of foil.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning it out onto a wire rack. Cut into squares to serve. This ginger and apple cake is equally delicious baked as individual portions—spoon the mixture into paper-lined muffin cases and reduce the baking time accordingly.
Servings: Makes one 9-inch square cake (about 9–12 squares depending on portion size).
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40–50 minutes (including baking and cooling)