As the seasons turn cooler, there’s no better way to embrace the coziness of the holidays than with a slice of homemade gingerbread cake. This recipe combines the earthy, spiced flavors of traditional gingerbread with a sticky-sweet caramel sauce that elevates each bite to a new level of indulgence.
Prepare to fill your home with the irresistible scent of ginger, cinnamon and molasses mingling in the oven, then get ready to dig into a perfectly moist slice of gingerbread cake that will melt in your mouth. When paired with a rich buttery sauce (or cream cheese frosting, your call), it’s the ultimate dessert, one that will please all palates.
Whether you’re baking for a festive gathering, or simply craving a sweet treat to savor with a cup of tea, this gingerbread cake recipe promises to delight.
Ingredients for Gingerbread Cake
- Butter: To create your cake mix, you’ll need softened butter to cream together with sugar.Â
- Sugar: Along with butter, sugar is an essential ingredient for adding sweetness and creating lighter, fluffier baked goods.
- Molasses: Molasses is the star flavor in gingerbread cake. It just wouldn’t be the same without it.
- Egg: A large egg is a binder for the cake mix, along with molasses to ensure a super moist cake. Use a room-temperature egg here, not a cold one.
- All-purpose flour: Dry ingredients like flour and baking soda create a fluffy cake instead of a dense dry one.
- Baking soda: Once activated (by water), baking soda will also help your cake rise, so it doesn’t fall in the center.
- Spices: Warming spices like ground ginger and cinnamon are the power players in this recipe, giving depth of flavor and complexity.
Caramel Sauce:
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar is the key to making silky caramel sauce, although you could also use coconut sugar for a vegan, dairy-free, paleo version.
- Cornstarch: This thickening agent helps create a super thick sauce.
- Butter: Butter is added at the end of the process for a glazed, creamy, luscious sauce. You could also employ vegan butter here.
- Vanilla extract: It’s all about the umami. Nothing tops the aroma of vanilla extract. If you’re paleo, look for an alcohol-free version.
- Whipped cream (optional): Optional, but highly recommended! There are also plenty of dairy-free whipped cream substitutes.
Directions
Step 1: Make the creamed mixture
Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Next, beat in molasses and the egg until well blended.
Step 2: Whisk the dry ingredients
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt, then add it to the creamed mixture alternately with the water.
Step 3: Bake the cake
Transfer the mixture to a greased 9-inch square baking pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
Step 4: Make the caramel sauce
In a small pan, combine the brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the water until smooth. Bring to a boil, then cook and stir for two minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat, then stir in the butter and vanilla until smooth.
Step 5: Top with sauce
Slice the cake into squares and drizzle each piece with warm caramel sauce. Top with whipped cream if desired, and serve immediately.
Gingerbread Cake Variations
- Swap out the caramel sauce: Cream cheese frosting would be divine on this decadent dessert, as would orange buttercream frosting or cinnamon molasses icing. Or make a simple glaze to drizzle on top.
- Go nuts: Spiced cakes such as this one always taste great with nuts. Toast some chopped walnuts to add to the mix for a mild, buttery flavor.
- Top with fruit: In addition to whipped cream and caramel sauce, you could add a few sliced bananas, poached pears or fresh raspberries on top of the cake to sneak in some fruit. Anything citrusy also pairs well with gingerbread, like candied pomelo or orange peel.
How to Store Gingerbread Cake
To prevent this rich cake from drying out, it’s best to wrap any leftover cake in plastic wrap or tinfoil, then place the square in zip-top bags or sealed, airtight containers. It’s too good to let one piece go to waste, so wrap it up well!
How long does gingerbread cake last?
If properly wrapped, leftovers will stay fresh for up to a week in the fridge.
Can you freeze gingerbread cake?
You bet! But we suggest doing so minus the caramel sauce and freezing that separately. Frozen gingerbread cake will last up to three months, as will the caramel sauce.
Gingerbread Cake Tips
What flavor goes well with gingerbread?
Citrus notes like orange and lemon are natural counterparts, as are coffee, caramel and chocolate (white or dark).
Why is my gingerbread cake dry?
One cause of dry gingerbread cake could be an extra hot oven. If you know your oven tends to run hot, test the cake with a thermometer 5 to 10 minutes before it’s supposed to be done to make sure you don’t overbake it. If the temperature reads 98°C/210°F, you’re good to go!
What kind of molasses is best for gingerbread?
You can’t go wrong with medium or dark molasses for gingerbread cake. In a pinch, you could even substitute honey for the molasses.
