My gluten free Jamaican ginger loaf cake recipe is back and better than ever! The McVitie’s one in the supermarket was my inspo for this one, but I like to think I’ve improved upon it a little too. Mine’s easily adapted to be dairy free with one swap too!
As a McVitie’s Jamaica ginger loaf cake contains gluten, it’s been yeeeeears since I’d enjoyed a slice… but that changes now! No, I haven’t been magically cured… I just made my very own gluten free Jamaican ginger loaf cake!
It’s been over a year since I first posted this recipe, so I decided to come back and update things a little. Hello!
Why is it that whenever you do anything creative, you come back and look at later and think… bloody hell, that’s rubbish!!
(I’m more talking about my old photos for this recipe, rather than the recipe itself!)
So I thought I’d come back and not only take some new snaps, but I’d sort of make a new and improved version of this recipe too. It’s been a favourite on the blog for well over a year now!
So what’s new and improved then?
(I read that in my head in a really skeptical tone for some reason!)
Well, I’ve doubledthe amount of ground ginger so it’s twice as firey and twice as warming. Also, I’ve swapped gluten free plain flour forgluten free self-raising flour as I never got the rise on it that I wanted in the past.
Lastly, I’ve also added that magic ingredient… Xanthan gum!
In case you have no idea what that is, it basically makes gluten free baking function. That’s all you need to know. It stops the cake from falling apart and becoming crumbly!
And I promise you – this cake is soooo easy and simple to make!
Ok it’ll never be as simple as picking up a McVitie’s Jamaica ginger loaf cake from a supermarket shelf. But I promise you, this one is better!
(I would say that though, wouldn’t I?!)
So I can’t promise that whipping up mygluten free Jamaican ginger loaf cake will be as fast as nipping down to the supermarket, but I think the smell of fresh baking more than makes it worth it, don’t you think?!
Ok, here’s the recipe! You can easily make this vegan by replacing the egg with 3 tbsp of aquafaba and using a dairy-free alternative to butter btw.
Gluten Free Jamaican Ginger Loaf Cake Recipe
My gluten free Jamaican Ginger loaf cake recipe is a new and improved version of the McVitie's one I used to buy in supermarkets. Mine's dairy free too!
SERVINGS: 10 people
Ingredients
- 170 g gluten free self-raising flour (sifted, I use Doves)
- 70 g black treacle
- 70 g golden syrup
- 70 g dark brown soft sugar
- 70 g butter or dairy-free alternative
- 3-4 tsp ground ginger depending on how firey you like it!
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Xanthan gum
- 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
Grease a 2lb loaf tin (900g) with greaseproof/parchment paper. This will not only stop it sticking, but also help you get the cake out later! I like to leave a bit of excess greaseproof paper so I can easily lift the cake out when it's cooled.
Preheat the oven to about 170C or 160C fan.
Place your black treacle, golden syrup, dark brown soft sugar and dairy free spread into a saucepan with 70ml of water. Gently heat and stir until completely melted. (Don't allow it to boil!)
Sift your flour, Xanthan gum and spices into a mixing bowl and then add your warm syrup/treacle mixture to it. Beat together using a wooden spoon until lovely and smooth,
Add half your beaten egg and mix thoroughly, then repeat with the other half.
In a small dish, add 2 tbsp of water to the bicarbonate of soda, mix until well combined and then add to your main bowl too. Mix once more. Your final mixture should now look nice and smooth, with a runny consistency.
Pour your mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 60 minutes. It should have a nice, dark exterior when it's done - but not a burnt one!!
Once baked allow to cool.The cake should be almost firm to touch, but will firm up more as it cools.
This is a cake best left to mature flavour wise for as long as you can manage. But I completely understand if you can't wait... maybe one cheeky slice straight away!
Enjoy!
Notes
LOW FODMAP GUIDANCE
You can easily make this vegan by replacing the egg with 3 tbsp of aquafaba and using a dairy-free alternative to butter btw.
Black treacle (molasses) and Golden Syrup are high FODMAP in excess serving sizes (Black treacle: 5g, Golden syrup: 7g).
So it might be a good idea to wait until after the elimination phase of the diet to give this a go!
Thanks for reading how to make my gluten free Jamaican ginger loaf cake recipe!If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creation and tag me on Instagram!
Plus, I’m giving away a £50 supermarket voucher every month to my fave pic, so get baking!
Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me onInstagram and leaving me a comment!
Looking for something else to bake? Why not give my gluten free lemon drizzle cake a go?
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
Oh and don’t forget to pin this for later!
Gluten-Free Recipe
FAQs
Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.
Why do gluten-free cakes not rise? ›
You may not have used enough raising agents. I do recommend experimenting with double action baking powders. Otherwise try using 25 percent more chemical raising agents (baking soda or baking powder) if you're converting a recipe to gluten free.
How do you keep a gluten-free cake from crumbling? ›
One of the most common gluten-free baking tips is “let your batter rest”. Letting the batter rest gives the gluten-free flours and starches more time to absorb the moisture. In theory, it will turn your dry, crumbly cakes into delicious, moist masterpieces.
Why are gluten-free cakes so dry? ›
Some gluten free flours will produce a cake which is on the dry side. This might be due to the lack of gluten but can be for many other reasons. Lots of gluten free flour is rice based and this can result in a dry and slightly gritty texture.
Which gluten-free flour is best for cakes? ›
Cakes. Make your own blend of flours or ground nuts and flours. Adding sorghum or tapioca flour to a blend increases softness and absorbency, which is ideal for lighter cakes and pastries.
What is the trick to baking with gluten-free flour? ›
Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.
Should gluten-free cake batter rest before baking? ›
Let Your Batters & Doughs Rest
We recommend covering your batters and doughs and letting them rest for at least half an hour. Note: This will also help batters become thicker and doughs to firm up.
Do gluten-free cakes need to bake longer? ›
Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture. However, it's very important to drive off this extra moisture during baking, or you'll wind up with a gummy texture. The best way to do this? Longer baking times.
Do I need xanthan gum for gluten-free baking? ›
Xanthan Gum adds thickness and viscosity to gluten-free breads and other baked goods. Without xanthan gum, your gluten-free baked goods would be dry, crumbly and flat. Because xanthan gum is gluten-free and vegan, it's the preferred thickener for those home bakers with food allergies.
What helps gluten-free cakes rise? ›
2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.
Sugar tenderizes a cake by preventing the gluten from forming. Sugar also holds moisture in the finished product. Sugar crystals cutting into solid fats like butter help form the structure of the product by making small holes which are filled with CO2 when the leavening agents react.
How much longer do you bake with gluten-free flour? ›
Gluten-free goods tend to brown faster and take longer to cook through. So they need to be baked at a slightly lower temperature, for a slightly longer time. Every recipe is different, but in general, try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and baking the item for 15 minutes longer.
Why do gluten-free cakes taste grainy? ›
Avoid using white rice flour when baking. This was one of the first GF flours and I've found the flour to always end up with a grainy texture. Same can be true of tapioca, so I use that flour sparingly. Use three or four different GF flours for baked goods, instead of one.
Can celiacs eat baking soda? ›
Baking soda is a common ingredient in baking, used to make bread and cakes rise. Baking soda is a pure ingredient, and it is naturally gluten free.
Can celiacs eat bicarbonate of soda? ›
Baking soda is a common ingredient in baking, used to make bread and cakes rise. Baking soda is a pure ingredient, and it is naturally gluten free.
How do you make gluten-free baked goods not dry? ›
Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture. However, it's very important to drive off this extra moisture during baking, or you'll wind up with a gummy texture. The best way to do this? Longer baking times.
What can I put on my cake to keep it moist? ›
The simplest version of simple syrup, or soak, is nothing more than equal parts granulated sugar dissolved into water. The basic soak alone will do great things for your cake, especially in terms of moisture.
Why is my gluten-free cake gooey? ›
These ingredients take longer to set than regular gluten-containing flour, meaning they may remain slightly “gummy” or sticky until they have cooled. That's why when you test your gluten-free cakes with a toothpick, even if it looks done, your toothpick might not come out completely clean!
