This easy ginger cake is soft, warm, and full of classic ginger flavor. It’s made with simple pantry ingredients and comes together in one bowl. Perfect for tea time or a cozy snack. It bakes up golden and moist, and it tastes even better the next day.

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Ingredients Needed:

200g/7oz self-raising flour
200g/7oz sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
55g/2oz margarine, plus extra for greasing
1 free-range egg, beaten
2 tbsp golden syrup
240ml/9fl oz hot water

How To Make Ginger Cake Recipe?

Preheat the oven: set it to 180C. Grease a 28x18cm baking tin with margarine and line it with baking paper.
Mix the dry ingredients: in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, ground ginger, and bicarbonate of soda.
Rub in the margarine: add the margarine and use your fingers to rub it into the dry mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs.
Add the wet ingredients: pour in the beaten egg, golden syrup, and hot water. Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Bake the cake: pour the batter into the tin and spread it out. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until golden and the top feels springy.
Cool and slice: let it cool in the tin, then cut into squares once fully cooled.

Recipe Tips:

Use hot (not boiling) water: make sure the water is hot but not boiling — this helps melt the golden syrup and mixes everything smoothly.
Don’t overmix the batter: mix just until the ingredients come together. Overmixing can make the cake dense instead of soft.
Line the tin properly: use baking paper with extra hanging over the sides — it makes it easy to lift the cake out after baking.
Check with a gentle touch: press the top of the cake lightly with your finger — if it springs back, it’s ready. Don’t rely only on the timer.
Cool completely before cutting: the cake will be very soft at first, so let it cool fully in the tin to stop it from falling apart when slicing.

How To Store Leftovers?

Refrigerate: First, let the leftover ginger cake cool completely at room temperature. Once cool, wrap it in baking paper or place it in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days, but room temperature is better to keep it soft.
Freeze: Let the cake cool fully before freezing. Wrap each piece in cling film, then put them in a freezer bag or box. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 215 kcal
Total Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 15mg
Sodium: 180mg
Potassium: 45mg
Total Carbohydrate: 35g
Dietary Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 20g
Protein: 2g

Try More Hairy Bikers Recipes:

Hairy Bikers Cheese Scones Recipe
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Hairy Bikers Ginger Cake Recipe

Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

215

kcal

Ingredients

200g/7oz self-raising flour
200g/7oz sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
55g/2oz margarine, plus extra for greasing
1 free-range egg, beaten
2 tbsp golden syrup
240ml/9fl oz hot water

Directions

Preheat the oven: set it to 180C. Grease a 28x18cm baking tin with margarine and line it with baking paper.
Mix the dry ingredients: in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, ground ginger, and bicarbonate of soda.
Rub in the margarine: add the margarine and use your fingers to rub it into the dry mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs.
Add the wet ingredients: pour in the beaten egg, golden syrup, and hot water. Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Bake the cake: pour the batter into the tin and spread it out. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until golden and the top feels springy.
Cool and slice: let it cool in the tin, then cut into squares once fully cooled.

Notes

Use hot (not boiling) water: make sure the water is hot but not boiling — this helps melt the golden syrup and mixes everything smoothly.
Don’t overmix the batter: mix just until the ingredients come together. Overmixing can make the cake dense instead of soft.
Line the tin properly: use baking paper with extra hanging over the sides — it makes it easy to lift the cake out after baking.
Check with a gentle touch: press the top of the cake lightly with your finger — if it springs back, it’s ready. Don’t rely only on the timer.
Cool completely before cutting: the cake will be very soft at first, so let it cool fully in the tin to stop it from falling apart when slicing.