Gingerbread Loaf

• 1 cup (237 mL) milk
• ½ cup (118 mL) molasses or black treacle
• ½ cup (118 mL) honey or golden syrup
• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp finely-ground black pepper
• ½ tsp any of ground mace, ground cloves, ground coriander seed, ground nutmeg etc, optional

Heat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.

Prepare a 5x9 in (13x23 cm) loaf pan (or any mid-size cake pan) by either greasing the inside or lining it with parchment.

Pour the milk into a microwave-safe measuring jug, along with the molasses and honey.

Drop in the butter in chunks.

Microwave until the butter chunks are halfway melted, stir, and let them keep melting while you measure out the dry ingredients.

Put the flour in a mixing bowl along with the salt, baking soda and spices. Whisk to combine the drys and to fluff up the flour.

The butter should be melted now — put the sugar in with the wet ingredients

Follow with the egg and whisk a bit until smooth.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk until just smooth.

Pour into the tin and bake for about an hour until done inside. The top usually looks slightly raw and shiny when the inside is perfect.

Allow to cool and then slice.

Keeps for several days and gets better as it goes.