Moist Gingerbread Spiced Cake (Printable version)

A moist, warmly spiced cake with ginger, cinnamon, and molasses, perfect for holiday enjoyment.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons ground ginger
03 - 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
04 - ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
05 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - 1½ teaspoons baking soda
07 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
10 - 2 large eggs
11 - 1 cup unsulphured molasses
12 - 1 cup hot water
13 - ½ cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.
02 - Whisk together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
03 - Using an electric mixer or whisk, cream the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat eggs one at a time into the butter mixture. Add molasses and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
05 - Add dry ingredients in three parts to the wet mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
06 - Slowly mix in hot water until batter achieves a smooth consistency.
07 - Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly.
08 - Bake for 32 to 38 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Serve plain or garnish with powdered sugar or whipped cream as desired.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The batter comes together faster than you expect, and the texture stays soft for days.
  • It fills your home with the kind of smell that makes people linger in the kitchen.
  • You can dress it up with frosting or serve it plain, and either way it disappears quickly.
02 -
  • Don't skip the hot water, it transforms the batter into something silky and ensures the cake stays moist for days.
  • Room temperature ingredients blend faster and more evenly, preventing lumps or curdled batter.
  • Check the cake a few minutes early, ovens vary and overbaking will dry out the edges.
03 -
  • Use unsulphured molasses for the cleanest flavor, sulphured can taste a bit harsh.
  • Let the cake cool completely before frosting or glazing, or the topping will slide right off.
  • If the top begins to brown too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

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