This classic Gingerbread Cake is the epitome of Christmas season! Warm and beautifully spiced it is a delicious holiday treat for your dessert table, or a perfect breakfast cake served with a fresh cup of coffee!
Hello friends, and welcome to my wonderful world of gingerbread, and also cake. Gingerbread cake; a classic, cozy, and perfectly spiced little slice of heaven. And I’ll tell you something else – you can have this little piece of heaven in your mouth, in less than an hour!
I love the flavors in this cake; strong, sweet, and slightly spicy – it literally screams “holidays!”. I’m in full baking mode over here you guys and this is just one of my many favorites around this time of year! Or anytime of year to be honest, because, it’s cake.
Ingredients
- Brown sugar – Packed.
- Butter – Unsalted, and softened.
- Eggs – I’m using 2 large eggs today.
- Molasses – Unsulfured – meaning “matured” molasses!
- Flour – All purpose white flour will do the trick.
- Leavening agents – Both baking soda and baking powder.
- Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg – all freshly ground, please!
- Salt – So important when baking!
- Water – We are going to need some boiling water on hand today for mixing purposes!
How To Make Gingerbread Cake
- Preheat oven: To 350 F degrees, and line a 9 x 9 inch pan with parchment paper. Butter and flour the sides of the baking pan as well as the parchment paper or spray entire pan with cooking spray.
- Create cake batter: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until it is lightened in color and creamy. Next, beat in the eggs and molasses, and mix until well combined. Then add in, the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt until well incorporated. Finally, whisk in the hot water (I wouldn’t use the stand mixer for this as it’s likely to make a mess!) until well combined.
- Prepare for baking: Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan, and spread around with a spatula to ensure it is flat and even.
- Bake: Place baking pan into the oven and bake for 40 – 45 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done if you gently push on it and it springs back up. Another way to tell is inserting a toothpick into the centre and see if it is clean when removed.
- Serve: Cut into slices and serve with a dollop of whipped cream!
What Other Mixings Can I Add
The options are endless here you guys! If you think your cake needs a little more something something, I’ve got a couple ideas to help get you started.
- Chocolate chips
- Allspice
- Dried fruit
- Chopped pecans
- Flaked almonds
You can also top your gingerbread cake with other options such as a drizzle of caramel, cream cheese icing, powered sugar, sautéed apples, and poached pears!
Can I Make This Cake Gluten Free?
I’m not going to say no but, something to keep in mind when doing any kind of gluten free baking is that you’ll also need a thickening agent such as xanthan gum, to provide elasticity and stickiness in the doughs and batters being prepared. If there is no gluten present you’ll need something that acts as a binding agent for the flour in order to maintain the structure of the cake.
Storage
You can store gingerbread cake in the fridge in an airtight sealed container or tightly wrapped, and it will last up to a week. Keep in mind though, the longer it is in the fridge the faster it will dry out.
Freezing
Gingerbread cake actually freezes really well! Just wrap it in plastic wrap and place into a sealed container and it will last up to 3 months in the freezer. When it’s time to reheat – put the cake in a 350 F degree oven and bake for about 5 minutes or until warm!
Looking For More Delicious Baked Goods? Try These Recipes:
- No Bake Cheesecake
- Easy Chocolate Fudge
- Peach Upside Down Cake
- Easy Lemon Curd
- No Knead 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Chocolate Apple Pie Monkey Bread
Craving More? Follow Along:
Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup butter unsalted, softened
- 2 large egg
- 1 cup unsulfured molasses
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 2 teaspoon ginger ground
- 1 teaspoon cloves ground
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg ground
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat oven: To 350 F degrees, and line a 9 x 9 inch pan with parchment paper. Butter and flour the sides of the baking pan as well as the parchment paper or spray entire pan with cooking spray.
- Create cake batter: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until it is lightened in color and creamy. Next, beat in the eggs and molasses, and mix until well combined. Then add in, the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt until well incorporated. Finally, whisk in the hot water (I wouldn't use the stand mixer for this as it's likely to make a mess!) until well combined.
- Prepare for baking: Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan, and spread around with a spatula to ensure it is flat and even.
- Bake: Place baking pan into the oven and bake for 40 – 45 minutes. You'll know the cake is done if you gently push on it and it springs back up. Another way to tell is inserting a toothpick into the centre and see if it is clean when removed.
- Serve: Cut into slices and serve with a dollop of whipped cream!
Tips & Notes:
- You can store gingerbread cake in the fridge in an airtight sealed container or tightly wrapped, and it will last up to a week. Keep in mind though, the longer it is in the fridge the faster it will dry out.
- Gingerbread cake actually freezes really well! Just wrap it in plastic wrap and place into a sealed container and it will last up to 3 months in the freezer. When it’s time to reheat – put the cake in a 350 F degree oven and bake for about 5 minutes or until warm!
I looked for my mom’s Lemon Sauce recipe and I found it.
Mix 1/2 c sugar, 2 t cornstarch, dash of salt, and a dash of nutmeg. Gradually stir in 1 c water. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until thick and clear. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into 2 beaten egg yolks, then return to hot mixture. Cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat and add 2 T butter, 1/2 t grated lemon zest and 2 T fresh lemon juice. Blend thoroughly and spoon over individual servings of warm gingerbread cake.
Hope you try it, it’s amazing how it sets off the gingerbread.
Thanks for the recipe!! I appreciate it.
I am going to be making this soon–this looks like a good recipe. My mom used to make gingerbread cake and we loved it. The one addition she had was a warm lemon sauce spooned over the warm cake–delicious! I highly recommend it…
Let me know how you like it, Lyn! Love the lemon sauce idea. 🙂