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Bonbon siwo
Bonbon siwo: Haitian molasses gingerbread cake
HaitianBonbon siwo, "syrup cake", is the moist, dark gingerbread that Haitian families bake for birthdays, church sales and an ordinary Sunday, sliced into squares and eaten with a cup of sweet coffee. The siwo is molasses or cane syrup, which gives it a slightly bitter, smoky sweetness alongside ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. The common mistake is overbaking: take it out as soon as a skewer comes out clean, or the edges dry and turn crusty. It contains egg, wheat and dairy. Chef's tip: mix the bicarbonate of soda into the hot water before adding it to the batter so it fizzes and lifts the cake evenly.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 oz buttersoftened, plus extra for the tin
- 3 ½ oz brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup molasses
- 1 tbsp fresh gingerfinely grated
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¾ cup hot water
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Butter and line a 23 cm square tin.
Step 2: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground nutmeg and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl.
Step 3: Beat 4 oz butter and 3 ½ oz brown sugar until pale, then beat in 2 eggs one at a time, followed by ¾ cup molasses and 1 tbsp fresh ginger.
5 minStep 4: Stir 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda into ¾ cup hot water and pour it into the molasses mixture.
Step 5: Fold in the flour mixture until just smooth; the batter will be thin. Pour into the tin.
Step 6: Bake for 40–45 minutes, until risen, springy in the middle and a skewer comes out clean.
45 minStep 7: Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out and cut into 12 squares.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bonbon siwo take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of ground ginger?
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger per ¼ tsp ground.
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