This simple to make recipe was in an old church cookbook lended to me by my Grandma. She actually knew Stan. My sister makes this recipe at least once a week and varies the ingredients - see variations below.

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180°C or Gas Mark 4. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.

Sieve the flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.

Place the butter, sugar, syrup and water into a saucepan. Heat gently until melted.

Pour the melted mixture over the flour and stir together.

Pour into the cake tin and bake for 30 minutes.

When completely cool, slice in half then fill with half the lemon buttercream and top with the other half.

Variations

Cook in a 2lb loaf tin, with the oven at 160°C or Gas Mark 3 for 50 mins to 1 hour (test the centre is cooked by inserting a skewer, if it comes out clean it is cooked) and serve sliced without any buttercream. If you leave it in a sealed cake tin for a few days the outside will go sticky and moist.

Use cinnamon instead of the ginger and add sultanas and chopped apricots - use plain buttercream instead of the lemon.

Use cocoa instead of the ginger and chocolate buttercream instead of lemon.

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