Gingerbread Cake

Before you start

Gingerbread cake is a soft, moist sheet cake built on molasses and warm spices. Boiling water poured into the batter dissolves the molasses and sugar, keeps the crumb tender and helps the baking soda react with the acidic molasses. The batter looks alarmingly thin, but that is correct: thin gingerbread batter makes a light, moist cake.

Two kinds of ginger give depth. Ground ginger provides warmth, while freshly grated ginger adds a bright, peppery bite. Use unsulphured molasses, which tastes rich but not bitter; blackstrap molasses is too strong for this amount. A lemony cream cheese frosting balances the spice, though plain whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar also works.

Ingredients

• Cake315 g (2½ cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 240 ml (1 cup, about 340 g) unsulphured molasses
• 150 g (¾ cup, packed) dark brown sugar
• 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter — melted
• 2 large eggs — room temperature
• 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 240 ml (1 cup) boiling water
• Frosting225 g (8 oz) cream cheese — softened
• 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter — softened
• 180 g (1½ cups) powdered sugar — sifted
• 1 tsp lemon zest — plus 1 tsp juice

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease the pan and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang for lifting.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a bowl.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the molasses, brown sugar and melted butter until combined. Whisk in the eggs and fresh ginger until smooth.
4. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until no dry flour remains; the mixture will be stiff.
5. Carefully whisk in the boiling water in a slow stream until the batter is smooth and thin. Pour it straight into the pan.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the center springs back and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The edges will pull away from the pan slightly.
7. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a rack, about 1 hour.
8. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, add the powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice, and beat until creamy. Spread over the cooled cake and cut into 16 squares.

Tips for success

• Lightly grease the measuring cup before pouring in the molasses; it will slide out cleanly and measure accurately.
• Freeze a knob of peeled ginger for 15 minutes before grating; it grates more easily with fewer fibers.
• The cake tastes even better the next day, as the spices mellow and the crumb gets moister.

Substitutions

Boiling water

Hot brewed coffee or stout deepens the flavor and color without making the cake taste of either.

Butter in the cake

Use 120 ml neutral oil. The cake will be slightly moister and stay softer in the refrigerator but lose some buttery flavor.

Fresh ginger

Add 1 tsp more ground ginger instead. You lose the bright bite but keep plenty of warmth.

Variations

Pear gingerbread

Arrange two thinly sliced ripe pears over the batter before baking, and skip the frosting in favor of a dusting of powdered sugar.

Troubleshooting

Cake sank in the middle

Too much baking soda or too little baking time. Measure soda with a level spoon and bake until the center springs back.

Cake tastes bitter

Blackstrap molasses or too much clove was used. Use unsulphured regular or mild molasses and measure the cloves carefully.

Frosting is runny

The cream cheese was too warm or the cake was not fully cool. Chill the frosting for 15 minutes and frost only a completely cool cake.

Storage

Once frosted with cream cheese frosting, refrigerate the cake, covered, for up to 4 days. Unfrosted, it keeps at room temperature, wrapped, for 3 days, or frozen for 2 months.

Safety notes

Do not taste raw batter, which contains raw flour and egg. Cream cheese frosting is perishable; do not leave the frosted cake out more than 2 hours. Contains wheat, egg and milk.