Gingerbread Cake

4.88 from 8 votes

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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Tiffany Azure

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