Gluten Free Jamaican Ginger Loaf Cake Recipe (dairy free) (2024)

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 (dairy free) (4)

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

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4.64 from 160 votes

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 Jamaican Ginger Loaf Cake Recipe (dairy free) (6)

Gluten Free Jamaican Ginger Loaf Cake Recipe (dairy free) (7)
Gluten-Free Recipe

Gluten Free Jamaican Ginger Loaf Cake Recipe (dairy free) (2024)

FAQs

Can you still buy jamaican ginger cake? ›

Dubbed as the original and best for over 50 years, McVities Jamaica Ginger Cake is a moist, sweet loaf cake with a delicious ginger 'kick' that is guaranteed to delight the taste buds. Did you know our secret Jamaica Ginger Cake recipe also makes the perfect pudding? That's why we call it a Sticky Pudding Cake!

Who makes Jamaican ginger cake? ›

McVitie's Jamaican Ginger Cake is a warm hug for your taste buds! The rich, spiced aroma alone is a treat, and the cake itself delivers on flavour.

What is gluten free cake made of? ›

Ingredients
IngredientType
SugarGranulated white sugar, brown sugar or their combinations
FlourRice, corn, potato starch or wheat starch (with 20 ppm or less gluten)
EggsWhole egg, egg powder
FatButter, margarine or shortening
5 more rows

Can you freeze Jamaican ginger cake? ›

The 2 lb tin will take an hour to bake. Leave in the tins to cool. This cake improves and becomes more sticky and gooey after a day being stored in a tin. The cake freezes very well too.

Does Aldi sell ginger cake? ›

Mrs McGregor's Ginger Cake 320g | ALDI.

What's the difference between Jamaican ginger and regular ginger? ›

Different regions around the world will produce slight subtleties which set them apart. Jamaican ginger sets itself apart by being more pungent and eucalyptus-like than other varieties. It is known for it's high quality while Nigerian ginger is known for its richness, pungency and sharp green flavour note.

How do you store Jamaican ginger cake? ›

Sliced ginger cake can also be used in a trifle. To store: Keep in a cool, dry place and eat by the best before date. Once opened store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.

What is Jamaica ginger made of? ›

To make their products more palatable, manufacturers of Jamaica ginger began to illegally replace the ginger oleoresin with cheaper ingredients like molasses, glycerin, and castor oil, cutting costs and significantly diminishing the unpleasant ginger flavor.

What is ginger cake made of? ›

Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices together. Add sugar. Whisk egg and milk together and add to dry ingredients. Melt butter and syrup together in a small, heavy-based saucepan.

Which flour is best for gluten free cakes? ›

Oat Flour. With its creamy, earthy flavor and delicate texture, gluten-free oat flour is a staple of my gluten-free baking recipes. It bakes up soft and smooth, adding necessary starch to many GF baked goods and keeping them moist and tender due to its high fat content and stable protein structure.

How do you keep gluten-free cake moist? ›

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.

What gluten-free flour to use for cake? ›

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. Gluten-free oats and oat flours add texture, which works well in biscuits and breakfast muffins.

How do you reheat ginger cake? ›

Cooled cake can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Unwrap plastic and wrap in foil and reheat in 350 °F (180 °C) oven for about 15 min (or less for smaller pieces).

Do you refrigerate Jamaican rum cake? ›

It is perfect as it is. I think a frosting might make it a little too sweet. Store in an airtight plastic cake container at room temperature. This cake remains moist for days.

Can you reheat gingerbread? ›

Reheat gingerbread in a 300-degree oven until warm, about 5 minutes. If reheated, be sure to serve it with a little whipped cream. On individual dinner plates, pour a generous puddle of sauce; tilt plate to cover it with sauce. Place a wedge of gingerbread on one side of plate.

Where is McVitie's ginger cake made? ›

Original British Imported! Did you know that our secret ginger cake recipe from Jamaica also makes the perfect pudding? That's why we call it a sticky pudding cake. No hydrogenated vegetable oil.

What is the name of Jamaican ginger? ›

Jamaica ginger extract, known in the United States by the slang name Jake, was a late 19th-century patent medicine that provided a convenient way to obtain alcohol during the era of Prohibition, since it contained approximately 70% to 80% ethanol by weight.

How long does Jamaican black cake keep? ›

Storing the Jamaican Black Cake

Wrap your cake in a layer of greaseproof paper and a layer of tin foil to prevent air getting in. Store the wrapped cake in an airtight container. The cake should keep for (at least) a month or even up to a year with this amount of booze going on in an air tight container.

What does Jamaican ginger taste like? ›

Jamaican ginger has a richness and an almost camphorous pungency that distinguishes it from the lemony varieties and brings it closer to cardamom'. Once the root and stem are harvested, they can be consumed immediately.

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