Soul's cake with butterscotch sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas 3. Grease two 24x19cm roasting tins or one larger roasting dish.

2. Warm the butter and treacle in a saucepan, to melt them together.

3. Mix together the oatmeal, flour, sugar, ginger, salt and cream of tartar.

4. Dissolve the bicarbonate in the milk.

5. Pour the melted butter and treacle into the dry ingredients and then add the milk mixture. Stir thoroughly, turn the mixture into the tins and level off the top.

6. Bake the cakes in the oven, allowing 1 hour 15 minutes for the two smaller ones or 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours for the larger tin. Test whether the cakes are cooked by inserting a skewer; if it comes out dry the cake is cooked through.

7. Cool the cakes in the tins. To enjoy the cakes at their best, keep them well wrapped in a clean cloth for around  two weeks before cutting into squares or bars.

8. Serve the cake with the sauce. Warm the butter, sugar and syrup together in a saucepan until well-blended. Bring to the boil and boil for 1 minute.

9. Allow the sauce to cool for 30 seconds then stir in the double cream. Pour the sauce over the cake and serve at once.