Best Gingerbread Cake Recipe

Nothing invokes the feeling of the holidays like the smell of gingerbread and this gingerbread cake recipe will REALLY set the mood!

If you don't have time to make and decorate gingerbread cookies or a special gingerbread house, this gingerbread cake is not only simple to follow, but it's soft and delicious. Of course, you can create your own delectable gingerbread cake recipe as well. If you already have a favorite, please share it below. If you'd like to customize this recipe, here are some tips to get you started:

Here's our favorite, simple cake recipe:

Gingerbread Cake Recipe

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup  (1 stick)  butter, softened
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 cup boiling water
• Whipped cream, Cool Whip, or Glaze (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Grease 9 inch square baking pan.
3. In a medium bowl, Stir together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.
4. In a separate, large bowl, beat softened butter, brown sugar, and molasses.
5. Mix egg into the wet mixture.
6. Add the dry mixture, alternating with boiling water, to the wet mixture, stirring until well-blended. 
7. Pour into the greased pan.
8. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and let sit on wire rack (still in pan) about 10 minutes. 
10. Invert cake onto wire rack and cool completely. 
11. Serve with whipped cream or lemon glaze (both are optional.)

Optional Lemon Glaze:

• 1 Cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (colored part of rind)

1. Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Add lemon zest.
3. Drizzle over cooled cake and let set before serving.
   

Another Optional Glaze:

• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 cup Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 1/2 Cups Hot Water
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 teaspoons Vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon Salt

1. On the stove, mix together the butter, sugar, flour, and hot water until butter is melted and all ingredients are mixed well.
2. Allow glaze to cool a bit and then add the egg yolks.
3. Cook until mixture is a semi-thick liquid.
4. Remove from heat and slowly add the vanilla and salt.
5. Drizzle over cooled cake and let set before serving.

Note that adding just a touch more butter to the gingerbread cake recipe can actually make the cake softer and richer, though you certainly don’t want to add too much of this ingredient.

Some believe that mixing by hand with a wooden spoon rather than using an electric mixer actually makes the cake “taste” better after cooking.

A gingerbread cake recipe isn’t complete without a topping. It can be as simple as Cool Whip or whipped cream, but for an added touch, try on eof these gingerbread glazes. A gingerbread glaze will make a world of difference in your gingerbread cake recipe.

Play around with the spices to make this gingerbread cake recipe your own. Some recipes call for less ginger (only 1 teaspoon) but add a teaspoon of cloves. You can make more of a gingerbread coffee cake recipes by adding buttermilk to the recipe. Obviously, this will taste a bit different than typical gingerbread.

You may find that, in some instances, gingerbread cake is referred to as molasses cake. Some recipes call for white instead of brown sugar, and for a less sweet cake, use only half a cup of either sugar. Whether you stick to this gingerbread cake recipe as written or change it to suite your tastes, it will be a great holiday recipe and lots of fun to serve.

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