Oh! the weather is damp and dreary but the cake is warm and cheery …

Damp Gingerbread

As the temperatures drop and storms bringing rain and snow make a path to our doors, I always reach out for Grandma’s traditional warming bakes which bring cheer and joy. These recipes often contain ginger, that fiery spice, which is reputed to have anti- inflammatory benefits for our health and well-being.

Elsie’s eclectic recipe collection

Some time ago, my friend Sue, in Halifax sent me a assortment of recipes which were in her late mother, Elsie’s cookbook. Sue’s Mum and Dad were close family friends and we have kept this flame of friendship alive over many years. Elsie’s recipes included an eclectic mixture of cakes but the one which caught my attention first was Damp Gingerbread. I’ve always been intrigued by names of cakes and even dared to suggest some cakes needed a rebrand . Grandma Abson had a similar recipe to Elsie’s.

Damp Gingerbread.

What you need

4 oz butter

8 oz treacle*

3 oz soft brown sugar

12 oz plain flour

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsps baking powder

6oz sultanas

2 eggs (beaten)

A little warm milk (about 6-8 tbsps)

How to bake

Pre heat the oven to  180C (160C Fan), Gas Mark 4 Warm the butter, treacle* and sugar in a pan on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon and baking powder and sultanas. Add the liquid from the pan and the beaten eggs. Add a little milk to mix to a soft texture/batter. Pour into a well-greased and lined approx. 8 inch/20 cms tin – round, square or rectangle. Bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes.

* Grandma used the term’ treacle’ for golden syrup or a mixture of golden syrup and black treacle so it could be a bit confusing! I used a mixture of golden syrup and black treacle to bake this recipe.

The Glasgow School of Cookery leads the way

I found a similar recipe for ‘Damp Gingerbread’ in my copy of ‘The Glasgow School of Cookery Book’ 1910.  The Glasgow School of Cookery was established in 1875. The aim was to educate young working-class women in cookery skills and, later, it promoted culinary education at board schools. 

The Glasgow School of Cookery recipe has the addition of 3oz (approx.. 85g) almonds – this could be ground almonds or flaked almonds. The recipe also suggests baking in moderate oven for about 2 hours which is not necessary in a modern oven!

So, nothing wrong with Damp Gingerbread - perhaps it has the right name after all. As the song nearly goes :

Oh, the weather is damp and dreary

But the cake is warm and cheery …

Enjoy and keep safe in the wintry weather.

This is a shorter version of my article for Yorkshire Bylines