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.
Followed the recipe with no modifications to the ingredients, though I did make it in an 8×8 pan and it was just fine. I originally was concerned the spices wouldn’t come through because I love spices, but I was wrong! The spices come through beautifully. The whipped cream kicks it up a level if you are serving to guests, otherwise you can just enjoy it as is – even for breakfast :).
This gingerbread was amazing and so easy to make! I’ve added the recipe to my binder of favorites. Thank you for sharing it!
My husband absolutely loves Gingerbread! And this recipe was well received! Super easy and fast to prepare, and double that for the eating! Thanks for the great recipe!
What kind of molasses is used?
Any mild-flavored molasses will work, such as Grandma’s Original (not Robust or Blackstrap).
can this gingerbread recipe be made in mini loaf pans and frozen
Hi Sherry, Yes, I think you could prepare these in mini loaf pans. Depending upon the size of the loaf pans, you may need to adjust the cooking time. I’d start checking them at about 25 minutes. And the cake freezes well; just wrap with foil and place in a freezer bag.
Any suggestions on how to convert this to muffins?
Yes Bronwyn, these could be converted to muffins. They will be small muffins–you could do 1 1/2 times the recipe to make them a little bigger but keep in mind that they won’t dome like cupcakes do. I would start checking them for doneness after about 20 minutes.
Do you think you could substitute 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour in this recipe?
Yes, I think you could get away with that Marilyn. Let me know how it turns out!
This was amazing! Easily the best cake I have ever made. Super easy to boot. I was a bit heavy handed with the spice measures, and used 65% molasses & 35% golden syrup because I’m in Australia and couldn’t figure out whether the molasses I’d bought was blackstrap or not. Then finshed it off striaght out of the oven with a port wine & golden syrup glaze. Turned out absolutely divine served with double cream.
I just made this cake. It was a super easy recipe but I find it lacking in ginger and/or spice flavor. I would try it again but revise the amount of spice. I would use ginger puree perhaps to add flavor.
Eva,
It is very important that your spices are not old. Most cooks don’t realize that seasonings and spices have a shelf life once opened to the air. That could have been the problem. Trying it again, it is delicious!
I made this last Thanksgiving to accommodate a guest who doesn’t care for pie (not sure how that’s possible!) and it ended up being one of the most popular desserts that day. It was perfectly spiced, light and delicious. Will definitely add this to my repertoire for future holiday meals.