So tender and moist, this Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake recipe has all the warm spices and rich molasses flavor this classic holiday dessert is known for in a simple, no fuss recipe you can whip up anytime you and yours need a wonderfully cozy treat.
If you love gingerbread, you’ll also love my Homemade Gingerbread Muffins and Overnight Crock Pot Gingerbread Oatmeal.
Wonderfully spiced and rich, nothing says Christmas or winter more than a slice of soft and moist gingerbread snack cake. Sprinkled with a little powdered sugar, piled high with a dollop of whipped cream or just cut and served warm from the pan, gingerbread is that perfect touch of cozy that feels like home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- #1 for me is always flavor. Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and just the right amount of that signature taste from molasses, this gingerbread cake is spot on.
- And if we’re talking cake, texture is a close 2nd. This cake is so soft and moist, light and fluffy. It’s just melt-in-your-mouth tender! I think it’s the boiling water used in the ingredients, just like with this Buttermilk Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe.
- And can we just talk about how warm and inviting your house smells while you’re baking it?
- This is a 1 layer, no frosting, no fuss 30 minute recipe you can whip up so easily! Everybody needs a no-hassle holiday recipe in their back pocket.
- Serve it as dessert, as a coffee cake, for brunch. Definitely serve it Christmas morning.
- And it’s not just yummy at Christmas, it’s delightfully snuggly all winter long!
Recipe Ingredients & Overview
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- all purpose flour
- baking soda
- salt
- ground ginger
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- ground cloves
- light brown sugar
- butter (I use salted butter)
- pure vanilla extract
- large egg
- molasses (not sorghum or blackstrap)
- boiling water
Recipe Variations: Do a quick taste test of the cake batter before you add it to your cake pan. If you like your cake a little more spicy, simply add ½ teaspoon of both ginger and cinnamon and add an extra ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves.
How To Make Gingerbread Snack Cake
Mix the dry ingredients. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves in a bowl using a fork or a whisk until blended. Set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and vanilla.
Stir the molasses into the boiling water until completely combined. Add to the rest of the wet ingredients in the mixer. Mix on the lowest speed (to avoid splatter) until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Combine. Slowly add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on a low speed until all the ingredients are combined. Don’t over mix. The batter will be thin and runny.
Bake. Pour into the prepared 9×9 pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Tips for the Best Gingerbread Cake
- Always use fresh baking soda to get the best rise for your baked goods.
- Room temperature butter and eggs also make for lighter and fluffier baked goods.
- Spray your measuring cup with cooking spray before you fill it with molasses. This helps the molasses come out of the cup much more easily.
- After adding the hot water and molasses to the recipe, make sure to keep your electric mixer on low to keep from splattering the thin batter all over the kitchen (Speaking from experience here).
- The batter for this snack cake is very thin. If yours is thin, you’ve done it right! Keep going!
- This cake is very tender and moist, so letting this cake cool at least 20-30 minutes before slicing will give you the best slices.
Ways to Serve This Recipe
This gingerbread cake is perfectly delicious simply sliced into squares and served right out of the pan. To make it extra special, consider topping it with:
- a sprinkle of powdered sugar
- a lightly sweetened dollop of whipped cream
- sugared cranberries
How to Store Or Freeze
Old fashioned gingerbread cake last about 3 days if covered and left on the counter. It can last up to 10 days if refrigerated in an airtight container.
This snack cake also freezes like a dream. Wrap it tightly and freeze it for up to 2 months. To thaw, simply let it sit on the counter until it comes to room temperature.
More Quick Bread Recipes To Love
- Cinnamon Apple Quick Bread
- Bakery Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping
- The Best Homemade Gingerbread Muffins
- Hummingbird Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup molasses
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a 9×9 cooking pan with non stick cooking spray.
- Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl using a fork or a whisk- flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves- until blended. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and vanilla. Stir the molasses into the boiling water until completely combined. Add to the rest of the wet ingredients in the mixer. Mix on the lowest speed (to avoid splatter) until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Slowly add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on a low speed until all the ingredients are combined. Don't over mix. The batter will be thin and runny.
- Pour into the prepared 9×9 pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
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