Ginger cakes - got any hints and tips?

[wonderstuff]

Just made my first ginger cake - tis in the oven Got a bit stuck on the weighing of black treacle and golden syrup - what is the best way to d this? I lined the bowel of my scales with cling film - got into a bit of a sticky mess

Going to try christmas cake next week..

Either weigh into bowl - warm tin of syrup/treacle first so that it flows more easily or

Weigh tin before and after - the weight removed is the amount that has gone into the bowl, left on the spoon, dripped across the worktop etc.

Just checked cake - is sunk in middle - will that rise?? Smells amazing, can't believe I've got to wait 2 days to eat it.

Burnt

Note to self - check cake before start feeding baby

I have flat scales that I put mixing bowl on, set scales to zero, then pour in syrup/treacle.

I also do as tb says and, if using a tin of syrup/treacle, let it sit in a bowl of hot water for a while before pouring and then it pours a bit easier

Need flat scales I think - I have those quaint ones with actual weights - half of which I have lost so have to improvise - one oz = a pencil sharpner and a hair clip

"I lined the bowel of my scales with cling film"

Ewww. I'm not surprised you got into a bit of a sticky mess.
My recipe works on tablespoons, not weight. Much easier.

I have same scales as you wonderstuff [hsmile] I love them but sometimes wish I could buy a set of gm weights!

I dip a spoon in veg oil so the treacle won't stick. I weigh something else that is going in with the treacle first (eg sugar or butter normally) then flatten this out to cover the scales pan. Then I add up the weights and adjust them. Then use my oily spoon to add treacle to the sugar/butter side till it's right. Then just flip the whole shebang in to the pan/bowl. You might need a spatula if it's butter.

Are youu going to try another ginger cake? Think I might make one soon...have a wonderfull recipie that has lots of stem ginger and both treacles in! oh yes! [hgrin]

Just realised youu recipie has both treacles in too!Maybe t'is the same...

Good idea! I knew there must be an easier way. My recipe uses ground ginger and half treacle half syrup - going to try again but with less treacle and more golden syrup. Though don't know when! Off to make veg cottage pie now

I looked for weights recently - v.expensive.

[hsmile]

Tbh I havn'e even looked but if they are pricy I won't bother!

Treacle is golden syrup. Golden syrup started out as a brand name, bit like hoover. DH is fanatical about this so we have to call it treacle (and dark treacle) in our house!

Lecture over!

[hgrin]

Hope your shepherds pie is good! Bean burgers, wedges and red cabbage slaw for us tonight!

Weigh the tins, before and after.

Which ginger cake recipe are you using? I make a Nigella one which is absolutely lovely.

Oh MFM I never knew that about treacle and GS.

< hides in corner with dunce hat on >

I'm sure the difference between the two is that treacle is made from molasses, which is unrefined sugar whereas syrup is made from refined sugar.

golden syrup and treacle are not the same - first is lovely, second tastes vile! I love all things ginger, but cannot eat ginger cake made with treacle

Black treacle and golden syrup deffo different. Recipe from how to feed your whole family..

Black treacle is a different thing to treacle though.....even I know that [hgrin]

Oh? Am very much a novice cook atm, is very confusing [hconfused]

No halloween

I weigh the sugar out and then weigh the treacle on top of the sugar - it all slides off in one into the bowl.

Yes black treacle and treacle are different, obviously!

WHat I said was that what we now call golden syrup used to be called treacle... till messers Tate and Lyle needed to rebrand it for commercial reasons (which shall remain lost in the mists of time though are no doubt very dodgy).

Dark or black treacle is just that. Treacle is treacle. As in a treacle tart or treacle sponge. Ever seem either of those made with
dark treacle?

Bit like sugar and brown sugar.

It's like if Tate and lyle decided to rename caster sugar as sparkle shards beause it sounds exotic and new. ANd then everyone goes with that and brown sugar just gets called "sugar" and is robed of it's proper monica.

I will show dh this crusade when he gets home and win brownie points that i can use against him!

Hellavita has said in one line what it took me about twelvety paragraphs to say in my earlier post

Moon, I didn't see your post! >

I made parkin yesterday which called for black treacle. I had some left over from doing a huge fruit cake for someones golden wedding party.

Here they are (metric scale weights) on amazon

Might be cheaper somewhere else - without the fancy brand.

Typical, no sooner posted than found here