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
Gluten-free flour blends don't have the same elasticity as flour containing gluten so often the cakes don't rise as much or will sink after rising. To combat the flat cake problem, I add ½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda to the recipe even when using a self-raising gluten-free flour blend.
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.
Can celiacs eat gluten-free cake? ›
Although regular breads and cakes are not included in a gluten free diet, there are many creative ways in which people with coeliac disease can have their cake and eat it! Gluten gives bread, cakes and pastry the right texture. Without gluten, bread is less chewy and cakes and pastry can be drier and more crumbly.
Why is my gluten-free cake chewy? ›
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.
What gluten-free flour is best for cakes? ›
What's the best gluten-free flour for baking? Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking mix is my favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for baking. It has a mild texture and plenty of "stick" thanks to a blend of sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, and sorghum flour, plus some starches and xanthan gum.
How do you keep gluten-free cake from falling apart? ›
Xanthan gum (along with other thickeners like guar gum and arrowroot) acts like a binder in gluten-free baked goods to maintain their structure. Without it, there's a good chance that your brownies or muffin will crumble and fall apart.
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.
Do gluten-free cakes need more liquid? ›
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.
Should you let gluten-free cake batter rest? ›
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.
What triggers celiac disease later in life? ›
Celiac disease is caused by specific genes, eating gluten, and possibly by some other triggers such as childbirth, surgery, stress, or other autoimmune disorders. However, medical science is still working to understand the roles of these potential causal factors.
Cross Contamination from Kissing
If you kiss someone that has recently eaten or drank something containing gluten, there is a risk of cross contamination and being glutened because of the particles in their mouth. As we all know, a crumb contains enough traces of gluten to cause a reaction in some coeliacs.
What are the worst foods for celiac disease? ›
Foods to avoid with celiac disease
- Cereals, breads, or other grain products that include wheat, rye, barley, or oats. ...
- Processed cheese, cheese mixes, low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese, or sour cream.
- Dairy products such as yogurt or ice cream that contain fillers or additives.
- Canned soups or soup mixes.
If the original recipe calls for 260 grams of all-purpose flour, substitute with 260 grams of your blend. Beat the batter more. Because gluten-free flours provide less structure than all-purpose, the batter or dough you make with them may require more beating than that which you are accustomed.
Why is my ginger cake rubbery? ›
Over mixing cake batter can result in a heavy, closed rubbery texture. Over mixing acts on the gluten in flour and will make cakes hard instead of the lovely soft spongy texture we associate with a good cake.
Why is gluten free baking so difficult? ›
Gluten-free baking is a lot harder than traditional baking because gluten protein is what gives baked goods their structure. Bread without gluten or any gluten substitute will be thick and crumbly when it comes out of the oven.
How do you get gluten-free to rise? ›
An easy way to create a good environment for gluten-free bread to rise is to turn your oven to 200 F; when it reaches this temperature, turn off the oven and place a shallow baking pan partially filled with hot water on one of the shelves.
Do gluten-free cakes need to bake longer? ›
Gluten-free batters need a longer bake time.
Because gluten-free batters contain more liquid than traditional versions, they typically take longer to bake. If you remove them from the oven too soon, you may develop a gummy, mushy texture.
Why does gluten free dough not rise? ›
If your gluten free bread didn't rise, here are some things to check: Was the yeast expired? Did you use the right type of yeast that the recipe called for? (Active dry yeast or Rapid-rise yeast.) What temperature was the water you proofed the yeast in?
