Moist Gingerbread Cake (Printable version)
A warmly spiced, moist gingerbread cake with rich molasses, ideal for cozy or festive servings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
02 - 2 teaspoons ground ginger
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
04 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
→ Wet Ingredients
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (115 g)
09 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100 g)
10 - 1 large egg, room temperature
11 - 3/4 cup unsulphured molasses (180 ml)
12 - 1 cup hot water (240 ml)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
04 - Add the egg to the butter mixture and beat until combined, then mix in the molasses until smooth.
05 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two parts, alternating with half of the hot water each time; mix gently until just incorporated.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Serve plain or dusted with powdered sugar as desired.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The crumb stays impossibly moist for days, getting better as it sits overnight.
- Hot water does something almost magical here—it blooms the spices and keeps everything tender without needing extra oil.
- It's forgiving enough for a first-time baker but impressive enough to bring somewhere.
02 -
- If your molasses is straight from the fridge, your batter will be thick and harder to mix in—let it sit out for a few minutes or microwave it gently so it pours like honey.
- Brown sugar that's clumpy won't cream properly; break it up with your fingers before you start, or the cake will be dense.
- That hot water really does stay hot when you add it to the batter; stir calmly and let the heat do its work rather than panicking about the batter being thin.
03 -
- Room-temperature ingredients mix together more smoothly and give you a better crumb than cold ones straight from the fridge.
- If you don't have parchment paper, a well-greased pan works fine; just be patient lifting the cake out.