This beautifully moist Golden Syrup Cake is so easy to make, no mixer required. A deeply comforting bake that’s perfect for sharing, served warm or cold!
You only need a few everyday baking ingredients for this syrup cake – take the taste to another level with Angostura Orange Bitters and finely grated orange zest.
You will also love my Retro School Dinner Cake
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In collaboration with ANGOSTURA® Aromatic Bitters
It’s rare to find an everyday cake recipe that can easily pass for an indulgent dessert… but this easy Golden Syrup Cake is THAT recipe.
Bake it as a loaf cake and it’s perfect with a cup of tea or coffee, sweet enough (and delicious enough) without any frosting or icing.
Bake it as a traybake, cut into squares and serve warm with custard or vanilla ice cream and you have a wonderful dessert that will have everyone ask for seconds.
It is reminiscent of sticky toffee pudding so I sometimes call it my golden sticky pudding cake!
This is the perfect cake for novice bakers as it comes together in literally five minutes without the need of a mixer. You will be amazed that such a simple cake tastes quite so delicious!
Take a look at the recipe video to see how its done – and be sure to check out the YouTube video where I demonstrate the recipe in more detail.
Cooking with Angostura
As a cocktail lover, I always have bottles of Angostura and Angostura Orange Bitters in my drinks cabinet!
But there’s no need to limit them to cocktails – you can add bitters in marinades or your bakes to enhance the flavour. A teaspoon of orange bitters brings extra complexity and dimension to this sticky cake.
Golden Syrup Cake Ingredients
Here’s what you will need to make this recipe – take a look at my suggestions for alternatives. You will also need a 2lb loaf tin or a 8in cake tin.
- Unsalted butter – margarine can also be used
- Sugar – I used white caster sugar but you can use light soft brown sugar (muscovado sugar) for a more complex taste
- Golden syrup – this unique ingredient lends a wonderful taste to cookies and cakes. It is very easy to find in the UK and becoming more popular worldwide. Light corn syrup is the closest substitute I can think of but although close in consistency it won’t have the toasted caramel flavour that makes golden syrup so delicious.
- Milk, orange juice and one large egg
- Orange zest and Angostura orange bitters add a wonderful scent to this cake. Strips of orange zest can also be used as decoration.
- Self raising flour – or see my notes if you only have plain flour. Make sure the flour is within “use by” date!
NEED TO KNOW No self raising flour? Make your own! Use 2 cups (240g) plain flour plus 4 teaspoons of baking powder. Make sure your baking powder is in date!
How to make Golden Syrup Cake
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Preheat the oven to 160C (325F). Mist your cake tin with cake release spray or grease with butter and line with greaseproof paper or use cake liners.
Add the milk, Angostura Orange Bitters, orange juice and egg in a mixing jug, stirring to combine.
Put the butter, syrup and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the orange zest then microwave for 30 seconds, stir and microwave again until the butter starts to melt. No microwave? Simply melt in a pot, stirring, over low heat.
Stir until the mixture is smooth then set aside to cool down slightly. If it is too hot it will cause the egg to scramble!
Gradually add the milk mixture into the bowl, stirring as you go, until combined.
Sift the flour over the bowl and stir together to create a smooth, slightly thin, batter. Make sure there are no hidden lumps of flour.
Pour the batter into a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin or into an 8 inch square (or round) cake tin. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until the cake is golden and firm to the touch. Tent the cake with aluminium foil if it is colouring too much after 40 minutes.
Brush your cake with a little extra golden syrup – though this is optional, the cake is plenty sweet on its own. Decorate with orange zest strips or leave plain.
How to serve syrup cake
Serve cold or warm for a few seconds in a microwave and serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or custard. An extra drizzle of golden syrup is highly recommended!
Storing and Freezing
This cake keeps incredibly well, in fact it becomes more delicious if you keep it for a couple of days wrapped in foil. It will stay moist for at least four days in an airtight container (barely lasts a day in our house).
You can also freeze the cake, in slices. Wrap well in clingfilm and then foil and freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the fridge and warm up slightly before serving.
Other uses for Golden Syrup
Easy Ginger Cake
Easiest Gingerbread Cookies
Have you made my Golden Syrup Cake recipe? I would LOVE to see it! Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Golden Syrup Cake
Ingredients
- 200 g (¾ cup) golden syrup
- 115 g (1 stick) unsalted butter cubed
- 150 g (¾ cup) sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 120 ml (½ cup) milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp Angostura Orange Bitters
- 240 g (2 cups) self raising flour (self rising flour) or see notes
- ¼ tsp salt
Toppings
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- orange zest strips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C (325F). Grease and line a 2LB loaf tin or an 8inch square cake tin.
- Put the golden syrup, butter, sugar and orange zest in a mixing bowl. Microwave for 40 seconds -1 minute or until butter starts to melt. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly if hot (otherwise you risk scrambling the egg).
- Combine the milk, orange juice, orange bitters and egg in a mxing jug. Gradually add to the bowl, stirring constantly, until combined.
- Sift the flour and salt over the bowl and then stir to comine until you have a smooth, slightly thin, batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour, tenting with foil after 40 minutes if the cake is colouring too much. Different ovens might require slightly longer cooking time, my cake was ready after 1 hour. Check the cake is golden, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- You can brush the still warm cake with some golden syrup if you like. Top with the orange zest if using.
- Serve cold or warm with custard, ice cream or whipped cream.
Video
Notes
Using plain flour
Use 240g (2 cups) plain flour plus 4 tsp baking powder if you don’t have self raising flour handy. Make sure the baking powder is fresh.Storing and Freezing
This cake keeps incredibly well, in fact it becomes more delicious if you keep it for a couple of days wrapped in foil. It will stay moist for at least four days in an airtight container (barely lasts a day in our house). You can also freeze the cake, in slices. Wrap well in clingfilm and then foil and freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the fridge and warm up slightly before serving.Nutritional Info
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Gabriella says
Such an explosion of flavour it’s really good, however mine didn’t fully rise it dipped in the middle, I was really looking forward to making this cake loaf and I was really disappointed that it dipped, do you have any idea why this happened?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Gabi, It could be that some of the batter wasn’t mixed very thoroughly or that the cake needed longer in the oven.
mohan kumar says
Thank you so much for the recipe!