Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake
A moist, old-fashioned gingerbread cake made in one bowl with molasses, dark brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Hot water thins the batter and keeps the crumb soft for days. Dust with powdered sugar, or serve the squares as pictured with whipped cream, sliced banana and warm vanilla sauce.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 level tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 level tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves or allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed; granulated works, see notes
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses not blackstrap
- 3/4 cup hot water or brewed coffee just off the boil
To Serve (Optional)
- powdered sugar or whipped cream or sliced banana and vanilla sauce, see notes
Equipment
- 9-inch square baking pan
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Parchment paper
Instructions
Prepare
- Heat the oven. Set the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch square pan and line it with parchment that overhangs two sides.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg until evenly mixed.
Make the Batter
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and molasses. Beat in the egg until it disappears, then pour in the molasses.
- Beat until smooth. Mix until the batter is smooth, glossy and an even color with no streaks of molasses.
- Add the dry ingredients and hot water. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the hot water, starting and ending with the flour. Mix each addition just until incorporated. The batter will be thin.
Bake and Cool
- Bake. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the center springs back and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and serve. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift the cake out by the parchment onto a rack to cool. Cut into 9 squares and dust with powdered sugar, top with whipped cream, or serve with banana and vanilla sauce as pictured.
Notes
Pictured: baked in an 11-by-7-inch glass dish (same time as a 9-inch square) with granulated sugar in place of the brown sugar, and served with whipped cream, sliced banana and warm vanilla sauce. For the sauce, whisk 1/2 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, stir in 1 cup water, cook until thick and clear, then stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla off the heat.
Molasses: use unsulphured or dark molasses, not blackstrap, which is bitter. Hot brewed coffee can replace the water for a deeper flavor.
Doneness: the center springs back to a light touch and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Start checking at 30 minutes.
Make ahead: the cake is better the next day. Bake it, cool it completely and keep it wrapped in the pan; cut just before serving.
Storage: covered at room temperature for 3 days, or wrap squares tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw wrapped at room temperature.
Substitutions: a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger or 1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger for extra heat; plant-based butter for a dairy-free cake.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1.8mg