Gingerbread

 Our Gingerbread is a moist brown sugar and molasses cake that’s loaded with ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Top with a dollop of whipped cream for the perfect holiday dessert.

A Classic Holiday Dessert

Gingerbread has been a classic Christmas dessert for generations – and the aroma of this cake baking in the oven means the holiday season is here!

Today’s recipe is a very simple, moist, and delicious Gingerbread cake that’s sweet and full of spices. It’s the perfect addition to a holiday dessert table and the perfect ending to a prime rib or ham dinner.

What is Gingerbread?

According to Wikipedia, gingerbread is a broad category of baked goods flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and sweetened with molasses, honey, or sugar. Today, you’ll find cakes, loaf breads, crisp and soft gingerbread cookies, and houses – all with the distinctive gingerbread flavor.

Why you'll love Gingerbread

• It’s the quintessential Christmas dessert with loads of warm and spicy flavors and creamy spiced whipped cream.
• Every bite is a taste of nostalgia and fond memories of the Gingerbread that grandma used to make.
• This cake is super easy to make – all from pantry ingredients – so you can make it at a moment’s notice when holiday guests stop by.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Unsalted Butter
• All-purpose Flour
• Vegetable Oil
• Dark or Light Brown Sugar
• Molasses – Use a mild, unsulphured molasses such as Grandma’s brand.
• Eggs
• Baking Soda
• Spices – Including ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
• Table Salt
• Boiling Water – This is a necessary step to loosen the gluten in the cake batter, creating a light and fluffy texture after the cake bakes.
• Toppings – Heavy cream is whipped with confectioners’ sugar, then sprinkled with more ground cinnamon.

Product Recommendation

We recently started baking with this 9×13-inch baking pan from Williams Sonoma and have found it to be superior in every way to other baking pans and baking dishes we’ve used in the past. We are not paid for this recommendation, just stating how great this baking pan really is! It’s a bit of a splurge, but this pan is super durable, non-stick, and every recipe  we’ve baked in it comes out perfectly and evenly-cooked!

Buy It Here

How do I make Gingerbread?

1. Butter and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter until pale in color, about three minutes.
4. Add the brown sugar and beat again.
5. Add the vegetable oil and beat until creamy, scraping the side of the bowl as needed.
6. Add the molasses and beat to incorporate.
7. Add the eggs one at a time with mixture running on low, letting each egg get incorporated before adding the next. Scrape and beat again.
8. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients until just combined.
9. Switch to the whisk attachment and with mixer running on low, add the boiling water into the cake batter and beat. Scrape up all thick batter from the bottom and beat until smooth and creamy without any lumps.
10. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake.
11. Cool then cut into squares.
12. Beat heavy cream with powdered sugar and decorate with a dollop on each portion square. Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top of the whipped cream and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I make Gingerbread ahead of time?  Yes, but like any baked good, this cake is best freshly baked.  
• How do I store leftovers?  Store the leftover cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days.
• Can I freeze the leftover Gingerbread?  Yes, in an airtight container, or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap so avoid freezer burn.

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Gingerbread

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Our Gingerbread is a moist brown sugar and molasses cake that’s loaded with ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Top with a dollop of whipped cream for the perfect holiday dessert.

• Author: A Family Feast
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings 1x
• Category: Cake, Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: English

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups unsulphured molasses

2 medium whole eggs

1 1/3 cup boiling water (must be boiling hot when called for in the recipe instructions)

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Ground cinnamon, for garnish (optional but highly recommended)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. with rack in the upper third of the oven.
2. Butter and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan (see post above for our pan recommendations)
3. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg, and table salt. Set this aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 3-4 minutes until pale and creamy.
5. Add the brown sugar and beat to combine.
6. Add the vegetable oil and beat. Scrape the bowl and beat again.
7. Add the molasses and beat to combine.
8. Add the eggs one at a time, letting each egg mix in before adding the next. Scrape and beat again.
9. With mixer running on low, slowly add in the dry flour mixture. Scrape and mix again.
10. Remove the paddle and switch to a whisk attachment.
11. Turn mixer to medium low and add in the boiling water in a slow steady pour. Scrape the thick batter from the bottom and beat again until completely smooth.
12. Quickly scrape this mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
13. Cool the pan on a cooling rack until completely cool.
14. Cut into 12 pieces (3 row x 4 rows).
15. In a small bowl, whip heavy cream and powdered sugar and dollop over each piece then sprinkle on ground cinnamon for garnish and serve.