Gingerbread Cake

This is a recipe that I found when I first started baking with oil instead of butter. Health messages have changed since then, although low saturated fats are still advised by many dietitians when cholesterol levels need to be managed. I'm happy to bake with butter, but I really like this recipe, as it is quick and easy to put together, and makes a light but traditional tasting gingerbread - one where the top get stickier with time!

My recipe is an adaptation of this recipe for a Molasses and Olive Oil Gingerbread Cake, which I found to be too bitter and not spicy enough when I first tried it. I substituted golden syrup for some of the molasses/black treacle, increased the ginger and used sunflower oil rather than olive oil, as the flavour of olive oil is lost in a strongly flavoured cake.

Ingredients
350g plain flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 
3 teaspoons ground ginger 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
90mls (6 tablespoons) sunflower oil 
150g caster sugar 
1 egg
250mls of roughly equal parts golden syrup and black treacle and 250mls hot water (mixed together in a measuring jug).

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 170C and line a deep 20cm (8") square cake tin with baking parchment.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar and oil until emulsified.
Add alternate portions of the flour mix and the diluted syrups to the egg mixture, stirring just enough to mix evenly, but not beating.
Transfer the batter to the baking tin and bake for 50-55 minutes, until a test probe comes out clean.
Cool for a few minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack.