Easy Ginger Ring Cake – A Simple, Spiced Cake for Any Occasion

 

A cozy, old‑fashioned Ginger Ring Cake that fills your kitchen with warm spice and nostalgia. This tender, beautifully moist cake is rich with ginger, molasses, and comforting winter flavors — perfect for afternoon tea, holiday gatherings, or anytime you’re craving a simple homemade treat. Easy to make, wonderfully aromatic, and absolutely irresistible.

  

This is a lovely recipe for a ginger cake that I got from my friend Carolyn in the U.K. many years ago.  She had brought it to a church function and it was so delicious I just had to get the recipe from her, which she was happy to share with me and now I am sharing it with you.

What you have here is a lush gingerbread type of cake with a rich, moist and tender crumb, studded generously with bits of candied ginger and glace cherries. I love both of those things so this is a cake I really love.

Topped with a simple lemon glaze icing and bits of more candied ginger to decorate it makes for a lovely cake to serve for any special occasion or even for just because.

This is one of my favorite ginger cakes.  I never bake it without thinking about my dear friend. Recipes shared from friends are the best kinds of recipes, don't you think??? If you love ginger, this is the cake for you!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE

GINGER RING CAKE

There is nothing too complicated about this cake.

• 7 TBS (100g) of butter, softened
• 2/3 cup (125g) of golden caster sugar
• 1/3 cup (100g) Molasses or dark treacle
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups (225g) self raising flour
• 3 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp mixed spice (see recipe for mixed spice in notes)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2/3 cup (175ml) of milk
• 1/2 cup (100g) chopped candied cherries
• 1/2 cup (100g) chopped candied ginger

To finish:

• 1 cup (130g) icing sugar
• milk or lemon juice to thin
• chopped candied ginger to decorate 

Make Your Own Mixed Spice:

You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.

Make Your Own Self Raising Flour:

You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.

 

HOW TO MAKE GINGER RING CAKE

Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way possible.

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Grease and flour a ring shaped cake tin, or a medium sized Bundt pan. Set aside. (A medium sized Bundt pan will hold up to 10 cups of batter whereas a larger one will hold up to 12)
2. Cream together the butter, sugar and treacle until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. (Make sure all of the ingredients are thoroughly amalgamated.)
3. Sift together the dry ingredients. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with dry. (DO NOT OVER MIX)
4. Fold in the cherries and ginger. Spoon into the prepared baking pan. (Smooth the top over.)
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
7. Once completely cold, place onto a plate, Whisk together the icing sugar and enough milk to make a drizzle icing. Drizzle this over top of the cake and decorate with more candied ginger if desired. (Totally optional but very nice.)

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR CAKE SUCCESS

If you follow these hints and tips, your cake should turn out perfectly.

1. Do use a baking spray to oil the tin, even if your tin is non-stick. I used Kirkland Canola Oil Spray. Spray the tin generously and it will not stick.  This is superior to buttering the tin and flouring it.  

2.  Have all of your ingredients at room temperature. 

3. Don't overmix your batter or you will toughen it. Over mixing will develop too much gluten and you will lose the tender crumb that is expected from a cake.

4. Wash and dry your cherries. Toss them along with the ginger in a bit of the flour needed for the recipe so that they don't sink to the bottom of the cake.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW FAR AHEAD CAN I MAKE THIS CAKE?

You can make the cake up to 24 hours ahead for optimum freshness.

WHAT ARE GLACE CHERRIES?

Glace cherries are a type of candied cherry. They are much drier than maraschino cherries although there still may be a bit of syrup on them. Rinse in warm water and pat dry.

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF GLACE CHERRIES?

You could use maraschino cherries, but you will have to drain them well, rinse in some warm water and then pat dry. They will not be quite the same but they will be delicious! 

WHAT IS CANDIED GINGER?

Candied ginger is pieces of real gingerroot that has been poached in a sugar syrup and then rolled in granulated sugar and left to dry.  It's very delicious!

WHAT IS GOLDEN CASTER SUGAR?

Caster sugar is a finely granulated sugar that is less processed than regular caster sugar so it is light golden in color.  Caster sugar is ideal for baking. You can make your own by blitzing regular granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds. You can use regular caster sugar instead of golden caster sugar.

CAN THIS CAKE BE FROZEN?

Yes. you can freeze this cake. Wrap in some plastic wrap and then wrap in some aluminum foil. Label, date and freeze. Use within 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

 

 

A FEW OTHER CAKE RECIPES TO ENJOY

I love cake in any way shape or form. Here are a few others that we really enjoy! You might also like them!

LEMON POUND CAKE WITH BLUEBERRY SAUCE - A simple Lemon Pound Cake, all buttery and rich, Dense and delicious. Topped with a luscious lemon buttercream frosting . . . and accompanied by a delicious blueberry sauce. Just to give it that extra little something . . . lemons and blueberries are very good friends.

RASPBERRY CELEBRATION CAKE - Life is good and so is this cake. A deliciously buttery sponge, filled with fresh raspberries and baked into two moist layers. Sandwiched together with a lovely vanilla butter cream icing and some seedless raspberry jam, and then drizzled with more sweetness by ways of a sweet drizzle icing. This is one very moreish cake.

 

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Yield: 8 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Ginger Ring Cake

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

This is lovely and moist and just spicy enough! I love that it has glace cherries and candied ginger in it. That makes it all the more delicious!

Ingredients

• 7 TBS (100g) of butter, softened
• 2/3 cup (125g) of golden caster sugar
• 1/3 cup (100g) Molasses or dark treacle
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups (225g) self raising flour
• 3 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp mixed spice (see recipe for mixed spice in notes)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2/3 cup (175ml) of milk
• 1/2 cup (100g) chopped candied cherries
• 1/2 cup (100g) chopped candied ginger

To finish:

• 1 cup (130g) icing sugar
• milk or lemon juice to thin
• chopped candied ginger to decorate

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Grease and flour a ring shaped cake tin, or a medium sized bundt pan. Set aside.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar and treacle until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
3. Sift together the dry ingredients. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with dry.
4. Fold in the cherries and ginger. Spoon into the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
7. Once completely cold, place onto a plate, Whisk together the icing sugar and enough milk to make a drizzle icing. Drizzle this over top of the cake and decorate with more candied ginger if desired.

Notes

Make Your Own Mixed Spice:

You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.

Make Your Own Self Raising Flour:

You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.

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