Gateau Sirop

If autumn in St. Martin Parish is synonymous with sugar cane harvest, then gateau sirop, a traditional spice cake made from cane syrup, is surely the dessert of that season. Cane syrup lends a silky texture and a flavor all its own to the dark, sticky cake. Like molasses, cane syrup is made from the juice of the sugar cane, but it’s taken from an earlier stage in the process that turns the sweet stalks into sugar. It’s more earthy, with a slight tang, a complex flavor all its own, and closer to the experience of chewing on a freshly split stalk.

Doe’s Gateau Sirop

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup Steens syrup

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup boiling water

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs, well-beaten

In large bowl, combine sugar, oil and syrup; stir well. Add soda to boiling water. Add water combination to creamed mixture; mix well. To above mixture, add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and flour; beat until thoroughly mixed. Fold in well-beaten eggs. Bake at 350 degrees in a well-greased 8 x 10-inch pan for 40 minutes. May also use a 13 x 9-inch pan and bake for 30 minutes.