Fluffy, moist Gingerbread Cake has lots of warm molasses and spice flavor. This easy snack cake will make gingerbread fans very happy.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Gingerbread is a nostalgic favorite for the holiday season.
- Easy Gingerbread Snack Cake is quick to make, with no frosting or decorating needed.
- The flavor of the warm spices develop and continue to get even better as the cake ages.
The warm, spiced flavor and aroma of gingerbread brings to mind cozy thoughts and holiday cheer.
You find gingerbread flavors in a variety of baked goods from beautiful Stamped Gingerbread Cookies to quick bread Gingerbread Loaf.
Enjoy this moist, fluffy Gingerbread Cake as a delicious treat any time of day paired with your favorite hot beverage.
Ingredients
- Golden syrup,also known as light treacle, is a British sugar syrup with a butterscotch-like flavor. It's available in the syrup aisle at some US supermarkets, World Market, and online.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Spray a 9" square pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper.
- Mix together dry ingredients and wet ingredients to form batter.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake.
Storage
Store Gingerbread Cake at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in wax paper then plastic wrap for up to one week.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later! Plus, you’ll get more great recipes and tips from us each week!
For shipping, wrap in plastic wrap a disposable cake pan.
Tips
- Don't worry about the cake batter seeming thin or runny. That is the correct consistency and will bake into a fluffy, moist cake.
- Gingerbread flavor improves over time. Baking one or two days before eating is recommended for best flavor.
- Molasses brands differ in flavor and intensity. A light molasses or "original" unsulphured molasses (like Grandma's Original) is recommended. If the molasses is too strong, the cake will have a bitter taste.
- For home enjoyment, suggested toppings include whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or vanilla creme anglaise.
- For shipping, wrap the cake in a disposable cake pan and send the powdered sugar in a small ziplock bag to be added later.
Frequently asked questions
Some traditional spices used in gingerbread include ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, mace and allspice. This gingerbread recipe calls for just ginger and cinnamon. Additional spices of your choice can be added in ¼ teaspoon amounts.
Nutmeg adds nutty, sweet spiciness.
Mace has a cinnamon-like flavor.
Ground cloves are highly aromatic, so only a very little bit should be used.
Cardamom has a ginger-like flavor with a touch of pine and should also be used in very small amounts.
Allspice is described as having fragrance like cloves, flavor similar to cinnamon and nutmeg.
Using the wrong sized pan or an oven that is either too hot or too cold can cause a cake to sink in the middle. An oven that is too hot can cause to fast of a rise and the cake will sink as it cools. An oven that is too cool might result in a cake that doesn't rise enough and becomes overly dense.
Adding the baking soda to boiling hot water activates the baking soda which will promote a slower rise of the cake and will promote a more dense crumb. This method also helps to disperse the baking soda evenly throughout the batter.
Related Recipes
Apple Gingerbread Cakelets are made with apple butter and gingerbread spices for a perfect holiday treat.
Gingerbread Pirate Cookies are classic gingerbread men cookies decorated like pirates.
All the holiday flavors you're craving in a one minute, microwave Gingerbread Mug Cake topped with caramel sauce. Make a mug full of holiday spirit!
Gingerbread Leaf Cookies are cutout cookies made with chewy gingerbread and decorated in the colors of fall.
Gingerbread Spice Cookies start with a cake mix and are decorated with melted white chocolate for an easy and delicious Christmas time treat.
Ready to bake? Join the free membership group to get new recipes and a newsletter delivered to your inbox! You can also stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’d love to stay in touch!
Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour sifted before measuring
- 1 ½ teaspoon ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup molasses
- ⅓ cup golden syrup or honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a 9" x 9" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper with edges over hanging the pan to help with lifting the cake out of the pan after baking.
- Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the baking soda. Stir to dissolve. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar.
- Mix in the molasses and golden syrup.
- Beat in the eggs completely, one at a time.
- In fourths, alternate adding the flour mixture and the baking soda mixture until just combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
- When completely cool, dust the gingerbread with powdered sugar if eating immediately or wrap well in plastic wrap and add the powdered sugar to the top of the cake when serving. For mailing, send the powdered sugar in a small ziplock bag.
- Store Gingerbread Cake at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in wax paper then plastic wrap for up to one week.
Notes
- Don't worry about the batter seeming thin or runny. That is the correct consistency and will bake into a fluffy, moist cake.
- Gingerbread flavor improves over time. Baking one or two days before eating is recommended for best flavor.
- Molasses brands differ in flavor and intensity. A light or "original" molasses (like Grandma's Original) is recommended. If the molasses is too strong, the cake will have a bitter taste.
- Use a disposable cake pan for baking the cake.
- Wrap the cake in the pan, covering with a sheet of wax paper, then wrapping the with plastic wrap.
- Send powdered sugar for topping in a small ziplock bag.
Leave a Reply