Gingerbread Cake

The gingerbread cake is rich, moist and full of ginger flavor. Serve this holiday classic with whipped cream and caramel sauce for a dessert your guests are sure to love.

Do you have an inherited cookbook collection like my family? We have so many that belonged to my grandmother.

Some of them are filled with everything that was terrible about food in the 1950s (I’m looking at you, hot dog jelly salad) and glorious in later decades, like this gingerbread cake.

When I miss my grandma or am stuck for a new recipe idea, I like to flip through these old cookbooks for nostalgia and inspiration.

They never seem to disappoint, I can tell you that.

(Though what I want to know is, who actually ate that hot dog salad thing? Gross. Usually in our house we place a lot of importance on not disgusting other people’s appetizers, but I draw the line at combining gelatin and meat products, sorry 1957.)

One thing is for sure yum for almost everyone it’s a cake like this. It’s a classic and for good reason.

My classic gingerbread cake recipe

This recipe has a bit of an interesting history.

While flipping through an old cookbook, a random handwritten note with a version of this recipe fell out.

At first I thought it must be one of my grandmother’s recipes. After all, she was famous for her Christmas desserts, and every year she made everything from pumpkin sandwiches to tins of peanut brittle.

When I asked my Aunt Debbie, though, she said it wasn’t Nana’s handwriting. Nana and her colleagues were constantly exchanging recipes, so we think it came from one of her work friends.

Well, I love all gingerbread, whether it’s gingerbread cookies, gingerbread cookies or gingerbread crinkle cookies. So I had to try this recipe. I made a few changes and fell in love with this flavorful cake.

This recipe is definitely an old school classic; there are variations of them available on the internet, which tells me that many handwritten recipe cards must have been shared years ago.

To really bring out the flavor of the ginger, I use two full teaspoons of ground ginger in this cake. I also sometimes add chopped crystallized ginger to the batter, giving it a great texture and another hit of that bright, spicy ginger.

This cake is an easy Christmas dessert, perfect for when you want to serve something absolutely delicious without putting in too much effort.

How to make this gingerbread cake

This is a totally simple, no-fuss cake recipe, just like my eggless chocolate cake.

But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s not beyond tasty! This gingerbread cake doesn’t need to be decorated to make a big impression.

Ingredients you will need

To make this cake you will need:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 lightly beaten egg
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup unsulfured molasses
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda
• 2 and a half teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup hot water
• ½ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger (optional)

Before you start baking, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. This will help your gingerbread cake turn out perfect every time.

A little applesauce helps this cake stay moist, while unsulfured molasses gives it a rich sweetness and gingerbread color. Make sure you use regular unsulfured molasses, Not Boar’s molasses.

I love pairing ginger with cinnamon and cloves for the perfect balance of spices in this cake. If you really like that hint of ginger, add a little finely chopped crystallized ginger. It adds a great texture and extra layer of ginger flavor to the cake.

Preparing this recipe

One of the most unusual things about this recipe is the addition of hot water at the end. But hey, that’s a retro recipe for you!

To make this gingerbread cake, start by creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs, applesauce and molasses.

If you’re new to baking, I suggest you review how to cream butter and sugar together. This is a simple step that can make a big difference in the texture of your baked goods.

At this point the batter may look a little strange, almost curdled. Don’t be scared: everything will work out in the end.

Then whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Slowly add it to the wet ingredients until well combined.

After adding the dry ingredients, add the hot water until you have a smooth dough. Yes, after the dry ingredients!

I honestly don’t even know the reason for this step. All I know is that it gives this cake an amazing moist texture, and that’s all I care about in the end.

If you’re using crystallized ginger, go ahead and fold it in before pouring the batter into a greased and floured 9-inch cake pan. You can use a square or round pan, or bake it in a springform pan to cut the final cake into wedges.

Bake the gingerbread cake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached.

Allow the cake to cool before cutting and serving.

Storage Tips

Store this covered gingerbread cake at room temperature for up to 3 days. Since it is a very moist cake, I don’t recommend storing it beyond 3 days, but you could extend it to 4-5 if you keep it in the refrigerator.

You can also freeze the cake, whole or in slices.

To freeze the entire cake, wrap the cooled cake in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of heavy-duty foil. Wrap individual slices in a layer of plastic wrap and place in a zip-top freezer bag.

Freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours before enjoying.

For more information on this process, see my post on how to freeze cake.

Serving Tips

There are many options for garnishing gingerbread cake.

A dusting of powdered sugar is a simple and elegant way to do this. You can also serve it with homemade whipped cream or salted caramel sauce, or even eggnog ice cream!

If you’re feeling particularly imaginative, try making some sugared cranberries for a festive and delicious side dish.

No matter what you serve with this gingerbread cake, it will be a big hit with your guests!