Old-fashioned Gingerbread – dense, aromatic, spicy and moist. Gingerbread is one of those cakes that you can whip up for a quick dessert almost any time because most of the ingredients are stock pantry items. I have several Gingerbread cakes that I like to make, however, I think this recipe is pretty much fool-proof and is easy enough for young bakers to hone their baking skills. We love it warm from the oven with homemade whipped cream (which is just whipping cream and powdered sugar whipped until peaks form). I have made this cake, cut it into squares and wrapped each individually with plastic wrap, and then stored them in a plastic freezer-safe container for individual servings when needed. The cake comes together in about 15 minutes and requires no advanced baking skills.
Gather ingredients. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan and set aside.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, combined 1 cup boiling water and the baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine flour, spices, salt, and baking powder and stir gently with a whisk or spoon. Set aside.
In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat one stick of unsalted butter until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add molasses, and then the water/baking soda mixture and mix until blended. Add lightly beaten eggs and beat until blended.
Add the flour mixture and mix only until combined. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature sprinkled lightly with powdered sugar or whipped cream.
Adapted from Martha Steward Gingerbread Snacking Cake
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoons cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup <g class=”gr_ gr_45 gr-alert gr_spell gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace” id=”45″ data-gr-id=”45″>unsulfured</g> molasses
- 2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x <g class=”gr_ gr_52 gr-alert gr_spell gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace” id=”52″ data-gr-id=”52″>13 inch</g> cake pan and set aside. In a bowl, combine the boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
- With an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter until light – about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy – about 1 minute. Add molasses, water with baking soda mixture and mix until blended. Beat in eggs and beat until blended. Add the flour mixture that has been thoroughly combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean – 30 to 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with either sifted powdered sugar on whipped cream.