Gingerbread Cake
intro
Warmly spiced, tender molasses-sweetened gingerbread cake with bright ginger and warm cinnamon notes, ideal for cozy cold-weather servings with whipped cream.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and pan
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F), then grease a 20cm (8-inch) square baking pan with a thin layer of butter, and line the bottom with parchment paper leaving 2cm (1-inch) overhang on two opposite sides for easy cake removal after baking.
Whisk dry ingredients
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 240g all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine salt, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp ground cloves. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds to evenly distribute spices and leavening agents, then set the bowl aside.
Cream butter and sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat 113g softened unsalted butter and 100g packed light brown sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 2 full minutes, until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale caramel in color. Pause once halfway through to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure even mixing.
Combine wet base
Add 1 room-temperature large egg, 160ml unsulphured molasses, and 30g grated fresh ginger to the creamed butter mixture. Beat on low speed for 1 minute until fully combined, then slowly pour in 120ml room-temperature whole milk, mixing for another 30 seconds until the base is smooth with no separated butter pockets.
Fold batter and add water
Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet batter in 3 equal batches, folding gently with a silicone spatula after each addition until just combined (do not overmix, as small lumps are acceptable). Slowly pour in 120ml boiling water, stirring gently until the batter is smooth, thin, and uniform dark brown.
Bake and cool cake
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan, then bake on the middle oven rack for 35-40 minutes at 175°C (350°F). Test doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center: it should come out with 2-3 moist crumbs attached, not wet batter. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out via the parchment overhang to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Tips
2.Use mild unsulphured molasses for the best flavor; blackstrap molasses is overly bitter and will overpower the warm, bright ginger and spice notes.
3.Room-temperature ingredients (butter, egg, milk) mix more evenly into the batter than cold ingredients, preventing lumps and creating a more uniform crumb.
OMG this gingerbread cake is SO good! I baked it for our family Sunday dinner last night and even my super picky 7 year old asked for a second slice. The spice level is perfect, not too overpowering, and it stays moist even after sitting on the counter overnight. 10/10 will make again for our holiday potluck next month!
Wait, I’m a total baking newbie and this was actually easy enough for me to pull off? No fancy equipment, no weird ingredients, cooked perfectly in exactly 55 minutes like the recipe said. I topped mine with a little lemon glaze and it was chef’s kiss.
Game changer! I brought this to my office holiday potluck today and it was gone in 10 minutes flat. Multiple coworkers asked for the recipe before they even finished their first bite. Only note: I added a handful of chopped crystallized ginger on top for a little extra crunch, highly recommend!
Made this last minute for my wife’s birthday since she’s obsessed with all things gingerbread, and she said it’s better than the fancy bakery version we paid $40 for last year. Wild how such a simple recipe hits so hard. Didn’t change a single thing, followed the directions exactly and it came out perfect.
Has anyone tried making this gluten free? I have a couple family members with celiac coming for Thanksgiving and I’d love to serve this if it works with a 1:1 GF flour swap!
Meal prepped this for my dorm floor snack stash for the week and let me tell you, my RA almost wrote me a noise violation because everyone was yelling about how good it is. Super cheap to make, doesn’t need a fancy mixer, and it stays good in a tupperware for almost a week. 10/10 for broke college students.
I’ve been making gingerbread cake for 60 years and I have to say, this recipe is right up there with my old family one! The balance of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves is spot on, and the sour cream in the batter is what makes it stay so moist, I use the same trick in my spice cake. Will definitely be adding this to my holiday rotation.
My kids loved it! I was worried the spices would be too much for their little palates but they gobbled it up after school and asked if we could have it for dessert every night this week. I served it with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top, perfect cozy fall treat.
Full transparency: I hate gingerbread usually, but my girlfriend made this last night and I ate two slices. It’s not overly gingery, it’s sweet but not cloying, and the texture is so soft and moist. I’d even ask her to make it again, don’t tell her I said that though 😂
Quick question: can I make this a day ahead of my holiday party? I’m trying to get as much prep done the night before as possible so I’m not running around the kitchen while guests are over. Will it still be moist if I wrap it tight and leave it on the counter?
Baked this before our fall camping trip last weekend and it was the perfect trail treat! It held up great in the cooler, didn’t get squished in the food bin, and gave us that little sugar kick we needed halfway up our hike. Added a little extra cinnamon because I’m a cinnamon fiend, and it was chef’s kiss.
Full transparency, I burn literally everything I bake. I followed this recipe step by step, set my timer like I was supposed to, and for the first time ever I didn’t set off the smoke alarm! The cake came out perfectly moist, no burnt edges, no raw middle. I’m actually so proud of myself right now.
This cake pairs so perfectly with a hot cup of black coffee on a cold morning. I had a slice for breakfast today instead of my usual pastry from the coffee shop and it was way better, plus way cheaper. Will definitely be keeping this in my regular weekend baking rotation.
Made this for my book club meeting earlier this week and all the girls were raving. We had it with spiced cider and it was the ideal cozy fall vibe. I didn’t have ground cloves so I used a little extra allspice and it still turned out amazing, super flexible recipe!
Made this with my 8 year old daughter for her school’s bake sale and we sold out in 20 minutes! She loved helping measure out the spices and stir the batter, and the recipe was simple enough that she could do most of the steps herself with minimal supervision. Such a fun recipe to make with kids.
Wondering if anyone has tried cutting the sugar in this? I’m trying to cut back on added sugars but I’m craving that warm gingerbread flavor so bad. Would swapping half the brown sugar for applesauce mess up the texture too much?