Easy Gingerbread Cake Recipe

A slice of gingerbread cake topped with a small gingerbread man cookie

This gingerbread cake recipe makes a delicious, old-fashioned dessert. The snack cake is moist, with a balance of sweetness and warm spices.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 7

Cook Time 25

Total Time 32

Servings squares

Calories 241kcal

Author Liz Marino

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter room temp
½ cup granulated white sugar
½ cup molasses
1 large egg
¾ cup whole milk
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

Optional

¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting the top of the cake

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350℉, and spray a 9-inch cake pan with nonstick spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer or stand mixer on high speed to cream together the butter and sugar.
Add the molasses, egg, milk, salt, and gingerbread spices, and mix on medium speed to combine.
Add the baking soda and flour, and mix gently on low speed to combine.
Pour into the prepared cake pan and spread the batter into an even layer.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let gingerbread cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Once cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar, frosting, or whipped cream, if desired.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Make gingerbread cupcakes - If desired, you can make 12 cupcakes with the same amount of batter that this recipe makes. Place liners in a muffin pan and fill them ¾ of the way full. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350°F., or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Make designs on the cake - A fun way to present the cake is to make designs on it out of powdered sugar. Place a cookie cutter or stencil over a spot on the cake and then sprinkle with the powdered sugar.

Avoid over mixing the cake batter.

Use dark molasses rather than light or blackstrap. Molasses gives the cake a lot of moisture, and using dark syrup gives the gingerbread a deeper color.

Perform the "toothpick test" to be sure the cake is cooked through. It can be so frustrating to see a cake that looks fully baked, only to find out that it's still raw in the middle. To avoid this, insert a toothpick into the middle of the gingerbread cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready to come out of the oven.

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