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I’ve been wanting to make a gluten free ginger cake just like the Jamaica Ginger Cake I miss so, so much.
And after much experimenting I’ve finally managed to create this sticky, gluten free ginger loaf cake which is just like the real deal.
In fact, one of my gluten-eating guinea pigs even asked if it was the McVitie’s one – without me having to even prompt them.
One bite of this gluten free ginger cake and I was taken right back to my favourite lunchbox staple.
With a fiery ginger flavour and a super sticky top, this cake is absolutely delicious and perfect year round.
It also gets even better after a few days – if you can bear to make it and let it sit for a day or so, it will be UNREAL.
Of course, I always find it impossible not to pick at it before then, but it really does get better with time.
A Jamaica Ginger Cake dupe
I always used to have a slice of McVitie’s Jamaican Ginger Cake in my lunchbox at school before my coeliac diagnosis.
In fact, I was pretty obsessed with the stuff!
I’m not quite sure why it’s taken me nearly two decades to actually create a gluten free Jamaican Ginger Cake recipe, but here we are!
For me it was really important this cake was extra sticky – no dry and crumbly cake would cut it.
This recipe uses treacle, golden syrup and the syrup from a jar of ginger to ensure it stays moist throughout.
It also has finely cut chunks of stem ginger in the cake which helps to add to the texture and give each bite a fiery kick.
I put quite a lot of ginger in my cake as I like the flavour strong, but you could definitely create a more subtle version if you prefer.
And until McVitie’s bring out a gluten free version (crossing my fingers there) then this cake is about as damn close to the real deal as you’ll get.
What ingredients do I need?
To make this sticky gluten free ginger cake you’ll need a few storecupboard essentials.
There’s a full printable recipe card below, but for the shopping list you’ll need:
- 150 g plain gluten free flour
- 4 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp allspice
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 75 g dark brown sugar
- 75 g golden syrup
- 75 g treacle
- 125 g stem ginger in syrup, (drained and finely chopped)
- 25 ml syrup from the stem ginger
- 125 ml milk
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 large egg
Most of these are simple ingredients you can find in any supermarket.
I use either the FREEE plain gluten free flour or any supermarket blend for this recipe – for my American followers you’ll need All Purpose gluten free flour.
If you wanted to make this recipe dairy free, it would work just fine with a dairy free margarine such as Stork Baking Block and dairy free milk.
I like my cake really rich and spicy – if you don’t want such a powerful ginger hit you can omit the stem ginger in syrup.
You could also put 3 tsp ginger into the mix instead of 4 for less of a kick too.
How to make this loaf cake
Making this cake is super easy – and the full method is in the recipe card below.
But to give you a general idea, I’ll quickly outline the process for you here.
First up you’ll need to melt the butter along with the sugar and all the syrups.
Once melted, allow the heated ingredients to cool slightly before beating in the egg and the dry ingredients and spices.
Bake in a loaf tin for an hour and there you have it, the perfect gluten free ginger cake ready for scoffing!
I like to leave this cake at least overnight as it makes it even stickier and spicier.
It will keep for quite a while and I think it definitely gets better the longer you leave it, if you can be that patient.
And if you can’t eat it all in one go then you can always freeze a few slices and save them for a rainy day.
It’s the perfect cake to slice up for lunchboxes and while I tend to associate ginger cake with Christmas and Bonfire Night, it’s perfect year-round.
My gluten free ginger cake recipe
This gluten free ginger cake recipe makes enough for a 2lb loaf tin – or you could split it between 2 x 1lb loaf tins and cut the cooking time down.
I’d recommend making this at least the night before so those lovely flavours can mature!
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Gluten Free Ginger Cake
This gluten free ginger cake is just like the Jamaican Ginger Cake I miss so much! A rich and sticky gluten free ginger loaf cake which gets better the longer you leave it - if you can bear to hang on before tucking in!
Ingredients
- 150 g plain gluten free flour
- 4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 75 g dark brown sugar
- 75 g golden syrup
- 75 g treacle
- 125 g stem ginger in syrup, (drained and finely chopped)
- 25 ml syrup from the stem ginger
- 125 ml milk
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160'C / Fan 140'C / Gas Mark 3. Line a 2lb loaf tin with a loaf tin liner and set to one side.
- Add the butter, syrups and sugar to a large saucepan and place on a low heat. Keep stirring until the butter has melted and it's fully combined. Remove from the heat for 1-2 minutes to cool slightly.
- Mix the plain gluten free flour, cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger and baking powder into a bowl and stir.
- In a separate bowl, add the milk, eggs and bicarbonate of soda lightly whisk.
- Pour the milk and egg mix into the butter/sugar mix and whisk together using an electric whisk until combined.
- Sift the flour and spices into the mix and whisk together until fully combined. Fold in the chopped stem ginger, and then pour the batter into the baking tin. It should be quite a runny batter.
- Place in the centre of a hot oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cake is starting to come away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tin on a cooling rack until completely cool before slicing. For best results and sticky-ness, leave for at least 24 hours before tucking in - the longer you leave this cake, the better it is!
Notes
- To make this recipe dairy free, simple swap the butter for a dairy free margarine such as Stork baking block.
- This cake can be stored in an airtight container for a week or sliced up and frozen.
- I like my cake pretty fiery - for a more subtle flavour use 3 tsp ground ginger.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 269Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 99mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 4g
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NEED SOME MORE GLUTEN FREE BAKING INSPIRATION?
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog?
Give some of these other gluten free bakes a try and see what you think!
There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple of easy baking ideas to get you going:
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
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LIKE THIS GLUTEN FREE GINGER CAKE RECIPE?
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