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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Jen, as always, I love your recipes. Easy and foolproof!
Would this one work with gluten free flour?Have any of your reviewers mentioned anything about this?
Hi Kate, A few reviewers have mentioned that they’ve used gluten-free flour successfully. One mentioned that she had great results with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking flour. Hope that helps!
That’s the kind of gluten flour I have used successfully in a couple of your recipes, myself. Thanks for the response, Jen. Didn’t want to read through all 101 prior reviews.
Hi Jen! Love this cake and make it every holiday! Have you ever made it as muffins? I need to take it to school and think that would be easiest for serving. I know I’ll have to adjust the time, but do you think they’d bake alright in muffin papers? Thanks 🙂
Hi Erin, Glad you like the cake! These could be turned into muffins. They’ll 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. They should be fine in muffin papers. I would start checking them for doneness after about 20 minutes.
I am freaking out, it has been in for full time but when I went to take it out it is still totally liquidy! What do I do?
Hi Alysha, I’m sorry you had a problem with this! Is there a possibility you made a mistake measuring the ingredients? If not, your oven temp may need to be checked– Place an oven thermometer (you can pick one up at most grocery stores) on the center rack and heat the oven for 15 minutes. If your thermometer reads higher or lower than your oven setting (325°F with the oven set at 300°F, for example), you can get the oven calibrated or just adjust the setting in the future to make up for it.
It is everything I’d hoped it would be: bold, spicy ginger flavor and rich buttery taste. Thank you for the gingerbread recipe I’ve been searching for, Jenn!
If I were to double the recipe, would I double the bake time?
Hi Denise, I would bake in two separate pans and keep the bake time the same.
Can I use sorghum
Hi Gail, I don’t have any experience with sorghum, so I can’t say for sure how it would work here. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I like the deep ginger flavor but it is far too sweet for my taste. Can I reduce the molasses and brown sugar by half or more without changing the other ingredients? I have seen a recipe that called for 1/4 cup of molasses and brown sugar, each. I would like to try to reduce it similarly, but would appreciate guidance on whether something else will need adjusting too. I had the same experience as other bakers with the baking time recommended in that it did not seem cooked in the bottom of the center. I would like to make it for Christmas dinner, if I can correct these issues.
Thanks,
Hi Patricia, You can reduce both the sugar and the molasses by 1/2. Using only half the molasses will definitely change the flavor of the gingerbread; it will still be good but won’t have as strong a gingerbread taste.
Hi ,
Any substitute at all for molasses. Don’t have time to grab it. Thanks in advance.
Hi Sa, Unfortunately, molasses is a key ingredient in gingerbread. You could make it with honey or maple syrup, but it won’t have the same flavor.
Hello this seems like a recipe I’d love to try since it got great reviews. Would you recommend covering with fondant and how long would you recommend freezing it for? TIA
Hi Filly, This isn’t a typical recipe for fondant icing, but I think you could get away with it. And you could freeze it for up to a couple months.
Hi Jenn, thanks so much for your reply 🙂
My childhood memories are of having applesauce on top and am forward to trying this! Gingerbread cake must be right out of the oven tho!