Little Spicy Syrup Cakes

Ingredients 

250g butter,

200g caster sugar,

1 whole nutmeg ground,

1 teasp. cinnamon,

4 eggs,

250g Self-raising flour, 

8 tablesp golden syrup,

2 teasp dried ginger.

Oven 160C, 320F,  Gas3

Butter 4 medium or 6 small ramekins or -  I  prefer   mince pie tins...

Cream butter and sugar( with an electric mixer,) add nutmeg grated ,or ground in a pestle and mortar, and cinnamon. Add a little flour then eggs and flour gradually and  alternately ,beating well. Put  1 tablesp golden syrup and a large pin of dried ginger into each tin. Add the cake mixture to about 2/3 of the way up and bake for 30mins, or until a skewer emerges cleanly. In a saucepan heat the rest of the syrup and ginger adding a few tablesp water to make a   toothsome  syrup to pour on top.  Eat warm, (with cream).

These are   fun to make, especially with children. The mixture is so delicious raw that you should really make double quantities.  Even then these cakes rarely make it to a  plate, let alone a table, although we do run to those things.  Comfort food in the kitchen.

Valerie Phelps