Ingredients

• 250ml/9fl oz cider
• preferably dry or at least not sweet
• 175ml/6fl oz sunflower oil
• plus extra for greasing
• 100g/3½oz soft dark brown sugar
• 300g/10½oz black treacle (use an oiled 1-cup measure for ease)
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 3cm/1¼in piece (15g/½oz) fresh root ginger
• peeled and finely grated
• 300g/10½oz plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 2½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 75g/2½oz unsalted butter
• 50g/1¾oz soft light brown sugar
• 50g/1¾oz caster sugar
• 50g/1¾oz golden syrup
• 125ml/4fl oz double cream
• 2 teaspoons smoked sea salt flakes
• or to taste

Directions

• Open the cider so that it loses its fizz. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3. Grease your bundt tin with non-stick cooking spray
• or simply oil it
• and leave the tin upside down on a piece of newspaper or baking parchment while you get on with the batter.
• Measure the oil
• brown sugar and (whether you’re weighing it or going for volume and using a cup measure
• always lightly oil the receptacle for the treacle first and it will slide out easily) black treacle into a bowl.
• Pour in the cider and crack in the eggs
• add the ginger and beat till smooth. While I use a freestanding mixer to make this cake
• it’s simple enough by hand: in which case
• beat the eggs together first before adding to the other ingredients.
• In another bowl measure out the flour
• baking powder
• bicarb
• nutmeg
• five-spice and cinnamon
• and fork through to combine.
• Gently tip the dry ingredients into the wet treacly mixture
• beating as you go to make a smooth batter. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl well to make sure there aren’t any pockets of flour.
• Pour the dark and aromatic batter into the prepared tin: it will be very runny
• but don’t be alarmed. Place in the oven to bake for 45–50 minutes
• but start checking after 40. When the cake’s ready
• it will start to come away from the sides of the tin and a cake tester should come out clean; that’s to say
• not wet
• but with some crumbs adhering to it. Transfer the bundt to a wire rack for about 30 minutes
• then use your fingers to help prise the cake away from the edges of the tin
• most particularly around the funnel
• and turn out. Leave to cool completely before wrapping
• first in parchment and then foil
• as it tastes best if eaten the next day. I don’t always manage this.
• For the sauce
• melt the butter
• sugars and syrup in a small
• heavy-based pan and let it simmer for 3 minutes
• swirling the pan every now and then.
• Add the cream and the smoked salt and swirl again
• then give it a stir with a wooden spoon
• and taste. Go cautiously so that you don’t burn your tongue
• and see if you want to add more salt
• before letting it cook for another minute. Let it cool a little then drizzle over the cake and pour any remaining sauce into a jug to serve.