Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake
This moist and perfectly dense gingerbread cake is just like the one your grandma used to make! Topped with a dollop of whipped cream, it makes a delicious holiday sweet treat.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup fancy molasses
- 1 cup hot water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (plus more for greasing the pan)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
Preparing the Cake Pan
- Preheat oven to 325℉ (see Note, below).
- With a pastry brush (or your fingers), brush a 9" square cake pans with melted butter.
- Cut and lay parchment paper into the bottom of the cake pan.
- Brush the top of the parchment paper with melted butter.
- Sprinkle flour into pan to evenly coat the bottom and inner sides. Tap out and discard excess flour.
Preparing the Cake Batter
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour1 tsp baking soda2 tsp ground ginger1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon¼ tsp ground cloves½ tsp kosher salt
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together molasses and hot water until well combined. Slowly whisk in sugar, melted butter, and eggs, one at a time (and in that order), ensuring eggs do not cook.1 cup fancy molasses1 cup hot water¾ cup granulated sugar½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly2 large eggs, at room temperature
- Into the large bowl, pour ⅔ of the liquid mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour in remaining liquid mixture and stir just until combined.
Baking the Cake
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and place in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for about 50 minutes (see Note, below).
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Serve warm with a light dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
Notes
- Moist/Dense vs. Light/Fluffy Gingerbread Cake:
- For a moist and dense cake (my preference), bake in a 9" square cake pan at 325℉ for about 50 minutes.
- For a light and fluffy cake, bake in a 9" x 13" cake pan at 350℉ for 30 to 35 minutes (or until a wooden skewer poked into the center of the cake comes out clean).
Nutrition
Calories: 3671kcal | Carbohydrates: 646g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 106g | Saturated Fat: 62g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 616mg | Sodium: 2559mg | Potassium: 5494mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 403g | Vitamin A: 3393IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 868mg | Iron: 33mg