Gingerbread Cake
Gingerbread Cake is a boldly spiced and moist cake that perfectly captures the essence of the season! This classic cake is topped with a refreshing orange glaze for a balance of flavors with a nostalgic charm.
Servings:16 servings
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cake
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2-3 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cloves, optional
- ⅔ cup oil, plus 2 tbsp
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup blackstrap molasses
- 2 eggs
- zest of 1 orange, divided to add to glaze, too
- ½ cup boiling water
For the Orange Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9x13 pan with baking parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. For a strongly flavored, European-style gingerbread, use the full amount of the ginger and the cloves. For a lighter, milder (but still boldly spiced!) Gingerbread cake omit the cloves and use just 2 tsp of ginger.
- In another bowl or large jug, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, molasses, eggs and 3/4 of the orange zest.
- Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until you have a thick batter. Whisk in the boiling water until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared tin. Drop it down on the countertop a few times to knock out any air bubbles, and bake for 30-35 minutes until a wooden skewer or the tip of a sharp knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Once the tin is cool enough to touch remove the cake and leave to cool on a wire rack.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth, then stir in the heavy cream and the reserved orange zest. Pour over the cake once it is completely cool.
Notes
- This cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- If you don’t have access to molasses or you’d like an even milder flavor, (the flavor is not for everyone!) substitute it for 2 tbsp of maple syrup mixed with 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, and switch the brown sugar in the cake for more dark brown sugar.
- Half this recipe and it will fit exactly in a 2lb loaf pan - you might need to bake it for 5-10 minutes longer, however!
Nutrition
Calories: 215 kcal, Carbohydrates: 28 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 10 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g, Trans Fat: 0.04 g, Cholesterol: 21 mg, Sodium: 222 mg, Potassium: 120 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 14 g, Vitamin A: 42 IU, Vitamin C: 0.5 mg, Calcium: 26 mg, Iron: 1 mg