Description
Old-fashioned gingerbread is a moist holiday cake with rich molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Serve each warm slice with homemade butterscotch sauce and whipped cream.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 cup fancy or cooking molasses
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9×13-inch cake pan.
- Whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, and hot water until evenly combined.
- Let the mixture cool briefly if it feels very hot. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk gently until no flour streaks or lumps remain. The batter will look thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes.
- For the butterscotch sauce, melt 1/3 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then slowly whisk in the heavy whipping cream.
- Cook at a gentle boil for 2 to 3 minutes while whisking frequently.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Slice the gingerbread and serve it slightly warm with warm butterscotch sauce and optional whipped cream.
Notes
- Use fancy molasses, mild unsulphured molasses, or cooking molasses. Do not use blackstrap molasses.
- Let the warm molasses mixture cool briefly before adding the eggs.
- Do not add extra flour when the batter looks thin.
- Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
- Store the butterscotch sauce separately in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Nutrition values include one cake slice and an equal portion of butterscotch sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece with sauce
- Calories: 402
- Sugar: 42
- Sodium: 257
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 58
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 75