Gingerbread
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Loved by kids and adults alike, this old-fashioned gingerbread is the perfect treat to keep on hand during the holidays.
Old-fashioned gingerbread is the perfect treat to keep on hand during the holidays. There are many variations—from dark, dense cakes made with robust molasses and stout beer to light, delicate cakes flavored only with brown sugar and a hint of ginger. This recipe, adapted from Cooking with Memories by Lora Brody, strikes a happy medium. It’s dark and gingery enough to please even the most serious gingerbread aficionados yet also mild enough for young children. Plus, it’s wonderfully simple to make. The batter is mixed by hand and comes together in 10 minutes. For serving, a simple dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, or a scoop of classic vanilla ice cream is all you need to do the trick!
As I mentioned, this is really simple to throw together. If you’re looking for more of a holiday or snow day project, these gingerbread cookies are adorable, fun to make, and they taste as good as they look!
“Absolutely terrific recipe…This is exactly like the gingerbread I ate as a kid and it brought back lovely memories!”
What You’ll Need To Make GingerBread
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the cake, balancing the moisture from the wet ingredients. To ensure accuracy, measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
- Baking Soda: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the gingerbread rise and become light and fluffy.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors of the spices and sweet ingredients, balancing the overall taste.
- Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, And Cloves: The warming spices that define gingerbread, adding depth and a distinct, aromatic flavor to the cake.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture, ensuring the cake stays tender.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Contributes sweetness and a caramel-like flavor, while also adding moisture. When measuring brown sugar, always pack it tightly to eliminate air pockets.
- Molasses: A key ingredient in gingerbread, providing the signature deep, robust flavor and dark color. I use Grandma’s Original unsulphured molasses but any brand will work. Just make sure not to purchase blackstrap molasses; it’s quite bitter and would have a significant impact on the flavor of the cake.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together, adding structure and contributing to a soft texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a large bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl.
Whisk in the brown sugar, molasses, and boiling water. When the mixture is lukewarm, whisk in the egg. (If the mixture is too hot, it will cook the egg.)
Add the dry ingredients.
Whisk until there are no more lumps.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 35 minutes.
Let cool slightly, then slice and serve warm with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, sweetened whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.
Freezer-Friendly Instructions
The gingerbread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in a sealable freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
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Gingerbread
Loved by kids and adults alike, this old-fashioned gingerbread is the perfect treat to keep on hand during the holidays.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ⅔ cup mild-flavored molasses, such as Grandma's Original (not Robust or Blackstrap)
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-in square metal cake pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy. (Alternatively, grease the pan with butter and lightly coat with flour.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, and boiling water. When the mixture is luke warm, whisk in the egg.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined and there are no more lumps. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges look dark and the middle feels firm to the touch. Set the pan on a rack to cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve. This cake is best served warm out of the oven or reheated.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The gingerbread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Serving size: 1 square
- Calories: 138
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Sugar: 16 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 163 mg
- Cholesterol: 19 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I love to make ginger bread and it is so good.
whip;
1/2 cup mild molasses
2 eggs
1/2 brown sugar, golden or dark
olive oil+ butter (melted) 1/2 cup total (I use about 2T. butter)
1-1.5 t. cinnamin, 1-1.5 t. ginger, (1/4 t. clove optional), 1/4 t. salt
then mix in 1/2 C. milk.
In a separate bowl mix: 2C. all purpose flour with 1-1.5 t. baking soda.
Add dry mixture to liquid mixture. Stir from the bottom with a tablespoon. letting the liquid gradually incorporate the dry. Do not over mix. If the mixture is too thick 2T more milk will set it right. You can make a gingerbread with a lighter texture by making the batter a little thinner. Since you can not control the humidity of the flour you use, you must adjust the thickness of the batter to taste.
Bake in buttered floured pan for 40 -45 minutes at 350, intil a toothpick comes out clean.
I mix the spices with the wet ingredients, because it developes and marries their flavors.
Creaming the sugar into the butter in this situation is unnecessary.
I’m not lazy and I have worked as a caterer and has a pastry chef. I tried the recipe with hot water and it is all of fuzz for no nothing.
Hi Bill,
What size pan do you use?
First time I ever made a gingerbread cake so I didn’t really know what to expect. I had no problem at all with the middle sinking which some reviewers mentioned. I did find it a little dense for my taste which I guess was intended. I would like to make it again but lighten it up a little, add less sugar and add a few raisins. Five stars because it came out as intended but how can I make it less dense.
Hi Andrew, sorry to hear you didn’t love the texture of this. There’s not really a way to make this particular recipe less dense as adding less flour would not make it sturdy enough. I have a recipe for gingerbread cupcakes that are a bit lighter in texture if you’d like to experiment with those. If you have my second cookbook, you can find them on page 274. If you don’t have the cookbook but would like the recipe, email me at jennifer@onceuponachef.com.
I don’t remember if I left feedback before, but this is the best ginger cake – my go to recipe when we want a simple but delicious dessert! I sometimes grate a bit of fresh ginger as well….so little fuss but such a splendid result (as are all the Once Upon a Chef recipes tried to date)!
Thank you!
This recipe was moist and amazing. We grated cloves which I think made the flavor better than when I’ve used cloves from the store. I always serve gingerbread with lemon curd as icing and it is spectacular. Highly recommend the Ina garten recipe.
What temp do you bake it at?
Hi Kim, It gets baked at 350°F/175°C. Hope you enjoy!
Cas,
Do you happen to have a good lemon curd recipe to share?
Hi Julie, feel free to wait for Cas to respond, but just wanted to let you know I have a lemon curd recipe on the site if you want to give it a whirl.
Really didn’t enjoy this cake at all. No fault of the recipe, just my tastebuds. This just tasted a lot like Molasses to me than anything else, wasn’t what I was expecting. Did come out super light and fluffy and had a beautiful exterior and color. Sadly, I won’t be making this again. Definitely a great cake if you love the flavour of molasses – if not – I don’t recommend.
This came out perfectly and I paired it with some lemon curd. My pan was slightly smaller than 9×9 so I baked it for 45 minutes. It was still moist and delicious.
Hi Jenn,
I’m about to make this for our belated Christmas dinner tonight. I was thinking of adding some diced candied ginger. Do you think that would work or should I leave it out?
Thanks so much!
Hi Nan, I think I’m weighing in too late to help, but sure, diced candied ginger would work here.
Would carob molasses work for this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Clare, I’ve never used it before (as a matter of fact, I had to look it up to learn exactly what it was) so I can’t say for sure how it will impact the flavor of the bread — sorry! If you do try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out. 🙂
I made two of these cakes. One with 2 tsp ginger and the other with 1 tsp. The one with more ginger was a bit too spicy for me, but with the adjustment, it came out really great. Thanks so much for this easy recipe!!
Can this be made in a loaf pan?
Thanks!
Sure, a loaf pan will work here. Keep in mind that the bake time will be different so keep a close eye on it. Enjoy!