subsituting treacle for sugar?

[samuel23]

Hi to all the cake baking experts. I remember my gran making a cake and using treacle (black treacle not syrup) instead of sugar. It gave the cake a lovely brown colour, kept it moist for at least three or four days (didn't last any longer than that lol) and it tasted wonderful. I've tried looking for the recipe, but it doesn't seem to be listed anywhere ~ not even on the tate and lyle website. The cake was a cross between a sponge and a madeira in texture. Sadly my gran and mum are no longer around to ask. Anyone have a recipe that sounds like the cake I've described? Thanks in advance

[Keeprockin]

Try looking at Christmas cake recipes. The one we make uses black treacle as well as dark sugar. You could no doubt fiddle about with the recipe until you think you have the ideal ingredients. I think ours is from Delia's cookbook

[masterchef]

Try Black Strap Molasses instead of treacle.It is available from Holland and Barrett

[BBWCHATT]

Bolo de mel (Christmas treacle cake)

1 kg cake flour
500 g sugar
100 g mixed peel
100 g almonds, chopped
500 g hazelnuts, chopped
25 g bicarbonate of soda
15 ml ground cinnamon
15 ml ground cloves
5 ml pepper
2 ml salt
5 ml ginger
15 ml aniseed
5 ml allspice
125 g sultanas
500 g butter (or half butter, half lard), melted
500 ml treacle
2 lemons (grated rind of both, juice of one)
2 oranges (grated rind of both, juice of one)
10 ml Madeira or port
melted butter
100 g walnuts
50 g almonds

Method:
1. Place the first 14 dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add the melted butter, treacle, rind, juice and Madeira. 2. Mix to combine and knead until well blended. The mixture should come away from the sides of the bowl. If the mixture is too soft, add extra flour to form a stiff dough. 3. Brush the top of the batter with melted butter, cover and leave to stand overnight. 4. Line five 20 cm-diameter cake tins with baking paper and grease well. 5. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and spread evenly. 6. Arrange the walnuts and almonds in a pattern on the surface of the cakes. 7. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 �C for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not dry out too much. Allow to cool slightly in the tins, then turn out. 8. When completely cold, wrap in cling film and set aside to mature for at least 2 weeks. The cakes can be stored for up to 1 year in an airtight container.

[BBWCHATT]

Christmas Treacle Cake

Ingredients
2 oz cocoa
6oz self-raising flour
4 eggs
6 oz black treacle
6 oz light soft sugar
8 oz butter

Directions
Cream together butter, sugar and treacle. Gradually beat in eggs. Sieve together flour and cocoa and fold into mixture.
Bake in 2 8-9 inch sponge tins at 350(F)/180(C)/Gas Mark 4 for 50 minutes. When cooled fill with butter icing and cover in chocolate icing (or whatever takes your fancy).

[samuel23]

Thanks to you all. Am going to try these recipes this weekend, they sound fab.

[BBWCHATT]

Thank you very much Samuel for letting me know - I wish everyone on AB gave us feedback so we knew whether to continue to try to help them or if they had what they needed!!! I hope at least one of them turns out just like your Grandmother made for you.
BBWCHATT

[msemma]

I substituted some syrup with treacle in a recipe and it gave it a lovely flavour.

[samuel23]

Hi all. BBWCHATT ~ thanks. Just to let you know that the cakes turned out to be superb. Neither were like the one my gran used to make, but they were both delicious and the 1st recipe (The Bolo de Mel) cake got scoffed as soon as it had cooled down!!

[paddywak]

When my old mum died one of the things I acquired was the cookery book she'd inherited from her mum,hand written in a beautiful copperplate style, one of the recipes being for a Christmas cake using black treacle as an ingredient with a note that it should be made at least 6 months before use and stored in an air tight tin only being opened occasionally to give it a "drink" of brandy.The result is a fantastic moist rich fruit cake that rarely lasts more then a week once it comes out of the tin.