Gingerbread Cake – My Baking Dependancy

Gingerbread cake is wealthy, moist, and stuffed with ginger taste. Serve this vacation traditional with whipped cream and caramel sauce for a dessert that’s positive to be a success along with your company.

Do you have got a set of inherited cookbooks like my household? We have now so many who belonged to my Nana.

A few of them are stuffed with the whole lot that was terrible about meals within the ’50s (I’m taking a look at you, sizzling canine jello salad), and superb concerning the following a long time, like this gingerbread cake.

After I’m lacking my Nana or I’m caught for a brand new recipe thought, I prefer to thumb by means of these outdated cookbooks for nostalgia and inspiration.

They by no means appear to disappoint, I can inform you that a lot.

(Though what I need to know is, who truly ate that sizzling canine salad factor? Gross. We normally make a giant deal in our home about not yucking anybody else’s yums, however I draw the road at combining jello and meat merchandise, sorry 1957.)

One factor that’s positively yum for almost everyone seems to be a cake like this one. It’s a traditional, and for good motive.

My traditional gingerbread cake recipe

This recipe has a little bit of an fascinating historical past.

Whereas flipping by means of an outdated cookbook, a random handwritten notecard with a model of this recipe fell out.

At first, I assumed it have to be one in all my Nana’s recipes. In spite of everything, she was well-known for her vacation baking, making the whole lot from pumpkin rolls to tins of peanut brittle yearly.

After I requested my Aunt Debbie, although, she mentioned that it wasn’t Nana’s handwriting. Nana and her coworkers used to swap recipes on a regular basis, so we predict it should have come from one in all her work associates.

Properly, I really like gingerbread the whole lot, whether or not it’s gingerbread cookies or gingersnaps or gingerbread crinkle cookies. So I needed to give this recipe a attempt. I made just a few tweaks and fell in love with this flavorful cake.

This recipe is certainly an old-school traditional; there are variations of it accessible all around the web, which tells me that many handwritten recipe playing cards should have been shared years in the past.

To actually play up the ginger taste, I exploit two full teaspoons of floor ginger on this cake. I additionally will typically add chopped crystallized ginger to the batter, giving it an awesome texture in addition to one other hit of that zippy, spicy ginger.

This cake makes a straightforward Christmas dessert, good for once you need to serve one thing completely scrumptious with out placing in a ton of effort.

The best way to make this gingerbread cake

It is a completely easy, no-frills cake recipe, very like my eggless chocolate cake. 

However don’t let that idiot you into pondering it isn’t past flavorful! This gingerbread cake simply doesn’t should be dressed as much as make a giant impression.

Substances you’ll want

To make this cake, you’ll need:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup room-temperature unsalted butter 
• 1 frivolously overwhelmed egg 
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup unsulfured molasses
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 2 ½ teaspoons floor cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons floor ginger
• ¾ teaspoon floor cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sizzling water
• ½ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger (non-obligatory)

Earlier than you begin baking, ensure you know the right way to measure flour appropriately. It will assist your gingerbread cake end up good each time. 

A bit little bit of applesauce helps this cake keep moist, whereas unsulfured molasses offers it a wealthy sweetness and the attribute gingerbread shade. Be sure you are utilizing common unsulfured molasses, not blackstrap molasses.

I really like pairing ginger with cinnamon and cloves for the proper stability of spices on this cake. If you happen to actually love that ginger kick, add in some finely chopped crystallized ginger. It provides nice texture and and an additional layer of ginger taste to the cake. 

Making this recipe

One of the vital uncommon issues about this recipe is the addition of sizzling water on the very finish. However hey, that’s a retro recipe for ya!

To make this gingerbread cake, begin by beating the butter and sugar till gentle and fluffy, then including the eggs, applesauce and molasses. 

In case you are new to baking, I counsel reviewing the right way to cream butter and sugar collectively. It is a easy step that may make a giant distinction within the texture of your baked items.

At this level the batter may look just a little bizarre, virtually curdled. Don’t freak out – it’ll come collectively ultimately.

Then whisk collectively the dry substances: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Slowly add this to the moist substances till simply mixed.

After the dry substances are added, stir within the sizzling water till the batter is clean. Sure, after the dry substances!

Actually, I don’t even know the why behind this step. All I do know is it makes for a tremendous moist texture on this cake, and that’s all I care about on the finish of the day.

If you happen to’re utilizing the crystallized ginger, go forward and fold it in earlier than pouring the batter right into a greased and floured 9-inch cake pan. You need to use a sq. pan or spherical pan, or bake it in a springform pan to chop the ultimate cake into wedges.

Bake the gingerbread cake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the middle of the cake comes out clear with just some crumbs clinging to it.

Let the cake cool earlier than slicing and serving.

Storage suggestions

Retailer this gingerbread cake lined at room temperature for as much as 3 days. As a result of it’s a very moist cake, I don’t suggest retaining it a lot previous 3 days, however you could possibly lengthen this to 4-5 when you retailer it within the fridge.

You may additionally freeze the cake, both complete or in slices. 

To freeze the entire cake, wrap the cooled cake in a layer of plastic wrap adopted by a layer of industrial quality foil. Wrap particular person slices in a layer of plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top freezer bag.

Freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours earlier than having fun with.

For more information on this course of, take a look at my publish on the right way to freeze cake.  

Serving strategies

There are many choices in terms of topping your gingerbread cake.

A dusting of powdered sugar is an easy and stylish strategy to go. You can even serve it with selfmade whipped cream or salted caramel sauce, and even eggnog ice cream!

If you happen to’re feeling additional fancy, attempt making some sugared cranberries for a festive and scrumptious garnish.

It doesn’t matter what you serve with this gingerbread cake, it’ll be a giant hit along with your company!