Divinely sweet and sticky, this old-fashioned golden syrup cake is easy to make but very difficult to leave alone. It’s perfect with a cup of tea for an afternoon treat or served as a pudding with custard.
Comfort food is exactly what is needed right now, and this sweet, sticky golden syrup cake is comforting beyond words.
It’s not a very fancy looking cake, but that doesn’t matter in the slightest. The taste more than makes up for its rather plain, beige appearance.
I wanted to pack as much golden syrup into the cake as I possibly could, so I couldn’t resist drizzling the cake with a syrup soak once it emerged from the oven. Reader, I highly recommend this.
what is golden syrup?
Golden syrup is a thick, amber coloured syrup made by refining sugar cane. It has three ingredients – sugar, water and citric acid. The syrup has a rich, sweet flavour that’s quite unlike anything else.
where can I find golden syrup?
Golden syrup can be purchased in supermarkets all over Britain, but if you don’t live in the UK you can buy it on Amazon. If you fancy having a go at making it yourself, all you need is water, sugar and lemon! Nancy Birtwhistle has a tutorial on Youtube – it looks pretty easy!
baking with Golden Syrup
The mere sight of that iconic green and gold tin transports me right back to my childhood. I adore that sweet, golden syrup. I love it drizzled over Scotch pancakes or even on a fruit scone with clotted cream.
Golden syrup is also one of my favourite ingredients to use in baking – the flavour and stickiness it provides in cakes and cookies is completely unique.
It’s an essential ingredient for the best sticky gingerbread, gingerbread cupcakes and the classic Yorkshire ginger Parkin.
Golden syrup is also a key ingredient in my favourite British pudding – treacle (golden syrup) sponge pudding, simple oat cookies and my best soft flapjacks, fruity flapjacks and apple and blackberry flapjack recipes.
ingredient list
Scroll to the bottom of the post to find a printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions!
- Golden Syrup. The star ingredient!
- Unsalted butter. You could use baking margarine, but unsalted butter is better.
- Soft dark brown (muscovado) sugar gives the cake a lovely caramel flavour and golden colour. If you don’t have dark brown sugar, light brown can be used instead.
- Plain (all purpose) Flour
- baking powder makes the cake rise and bicarbonate of soda helps to lighten the texture of the cake Without any rising agent, the cake would be extremely dense and heavy.
- a small amount of fine salt helps to enhance the flavours and balances the sweetness of the cake.
- Eggs – you’ll need two large eggs for this recipe.
- Milk adds richness to the cake. I always use whole milk in this recipe, but semi-skimmed would also be fine.
equipment list
- 2lb (900g) loaf tin
- baking parchment, to line the tin or a loaf tin liner
- small saucepan
- large mixing bowl
- a large whisk or wooden spoon
how to make a sticky golden syrup cake
Step one – melt the butter, golden syrup and brown sugar together in a saucepan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Take the pan off the heat and leave it to cool down a little.
Step two – Sieve the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a large bowl.
Step three – crack the eggs into a jug and give them a good stir. Pour in the milk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the eggs and milk, followed by the melted golden syrup and butter. Using a whisk or a wooden spoon, stir everything together until you have a smooth runny batter.
Step four – Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until risen, golden and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake emerges clean. A few sticky crumbs are ok, but if you see runny liquid batter get the cake back in the oven pronto.
Step five – As soon as the cake is ready, poke little holes all over the cake using a sharp, thin skewer, going almost all the way to the bottom. Stir together two tablespoons of golden syrup and one tablespoon of boiling water. Slowly spoon the syrup all over the surface of the cake. Leave the cake to cool in the tin completely.
recipe notes
- I know it’s a difficult ask, but if you can stand to leave this cake for a day or two before slicing it will be even more delicious and sticky. Allowing the cake to “mature” for a couple of days improves the flavour and texture.
- Wrap the cold cake in a layer of baking parchment and tin foil. It will keep for 4-5 days in an airtight tin.
- Golden syrup cake is great for freezing – either as a whole cake or cut into slices. Wrap the cake in clingfilm and a couple of layers of foil or place in freezer bags. Freeze for up to three months.
- I love this cake just as it is with a cup of strong tea – but my absolute favourite way to eat it is with custard. One of my favourite puddings!
did you make this recipe?
I hope you loved it! Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and please rate the recipe by clicking on the stars in the recipe card.
Golden Syrup Cake
Sticky, fragrant and oh so moreish, this golden syrup cake is comfort food of the highest order. Serve in big fat slices with a pot of tea or serve with custard for a delicious, cosy pudding.
Ingredients
- 175g golden syrup
- 150g unsalted butter
- 75g soft dark brown sugar
- 175g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large eggs
- 125ml milk
- FOR THE SYRUP SOAK
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 1 tablespoon freshly boiled water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F/Gas mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 900g loaf tin.
- Melt the golden syrup, butter and brown sugar together in a medium saucepan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave for a few minutes to cool down slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Crack the eggs into a jug and give them a quick stir to break them up, then stir in the milk. Pour the eggs and milk into the bowl of dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter and syrup. Using a whisk or a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until you have a smooth batter. It will look thinner than a normal cake batter.
- Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake emerges clean(ish). A few sticky crumbs are normal because of the syrup. Because of the syrup content, the cake can turn a little dark on the top but does not affect the taste. However, if the top of the cake looks like it's starting to turn too dark before it's ready, loosely cover the top with a piece of tin foil.
- Using a skewer, poke little holes all over the surface of the cake, going right down to the bottom. Mix the 2 tablespoons of golden syrup and the freshly boiled water together. Slowly spoon the syrup mixture all over the cake, allowing it to run into the tiny holes. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before removing. Like gingerbread, this cake becomes even stickier and more delicious if you leave it to mature for a day or two, but I know that's easier said than done!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 372Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 441mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 4g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.
This look so delicious. I wonder if can be made with a simple swap to be gluten free so my daughter can have a piece too.
OOoh this is one of my all time fave cakes but I’m not sure I’ve ever actually homemade one! Must give it a try now tho!
Thanks Chloe, hope you like it!
Thanks Rebecca, I’ve never tried but I’m sure it probably could be adapted for GF – if you try it let me know how you get on!
Dreaming of a slice of this with some custard!
It’s SO good with custard, highly recommended! 😊