Everybody’s favorite gathering treat is traditional gingerbread made with old-fashioned ingredients. This recipe is so simple to follow, and it most likely comes very close to the one that your great-grandmother used to prepare. This gingerbread cake is naturally moist, lightly spiced, and can be served with either a sprinkling of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or vanilla sour cream.
To Make a Gingerbread Cake That Is Both Natural and Moist, You Will Need the Following Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup traditional molasses
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup unsalted, melted butter
- 2 large whole eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, room temperature
Vanilla Sour Cream Icing Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar, sifted to remove lumps
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, and 10 minutes
How To Make It:
- To begin, you will need to assemble and prepare all of your cake ingredients by the ingredient list located above so that they are ready to use and well-organized.
- Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 12-cup cake pan with cooking spray.
- In a bowl that is medium to large in size, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves using a whisk, and then set these dry ingredients aside for a moment.
- Place the molasses, dark brown sugar, oil, and melted butter in a larger bowl, and whisk all of the ingredients together for a couple of minutes as thoroughly as you can (the oil will separate, which is normal).
- Next, add your two whole eggs and one egg yolk, as well as the vanilla extract, and whisk those ingredients into the batter until it emulsifies a little bit more and comes together. After that, pour in the buttermilk and mix everything using a whisk.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and then, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the cake batter is well combined and fairly smooth. Be careful not to overwork or overmix the batter, as this will prevent the cake from remaining airy.
- Pour the batter into the pan that has been prepared, and bake the cake for approximately 44 to 45 minutes, turning the cake halfway through the baking process to ensure even baking. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- After the cake has cooled for 15 minutes in the pan, carefully remove it and place it on a wire rack to finish cooling.
- While you wait, get your ingredients for the vanilla sour cream icing together and organize them according to the list of ingredients that is located above. This will ensure that they are ready to be used when the time comes.
- To make the icing, place the sour cream in a bowl that is at least medium-large in size, and then whisk in the vanilla extract until it is just combined. Start adding the powdered sugar in increments of half a cup at a time, whisking in between each addition until the mixture is smooth and all of the sugar is used up. (The finished icing should have a fairly thick consistency; this is what will enable it to slowly cascade and adhere to the cake.)
- To glaze the gingerbread cake, slowly pour the icing all over the top of the cake, allowing it to cascade down the sides and center until all of the icing is used up.
- After the frosting has completely hardened, cut the cake into pieces and serve it.
Molasses in Making Moist and Natural Gingerbread Cake
Molasses is a thick syrup that is produced as a byproduct of the process of making sugar, and it is an ingredient that is frequently used during the holiday baking season. Additionally, it is an essential component in the production of a moist gingerbread cake. Here are some alternatives to molasses that you can use if your pantry doesn’t have any:
- Dark brown sugar
- Dark corn syrup
- Maple Syrup
- Honey
Why is your Gingerbread Cake Dry?
An overly hot oven is one of the most common causes of dry cake, though there are several other potential causes as well. Investing in an oven thermometer is the best way to get an accurate reading from your oven and prevent your cake from becoming overbaked and dry as a result of baking at a temperature that is 5 to even 50 degrees hotter than what the dial says.
Storing Moist and Natural Gingerbread Cake
After you have completed the recipe for this moist gingerbread cake, you should wrap it in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container to prevent it from becoming dry. This cake will remain edible for approximately one week, but after a few days, it will begin to dry out, especially if it is stored in the refrigerator.
Refrigerating Moist and Natural Gingerbread Cake
If you choose not to refrigerate the toppings for your gingerbread cake, the cake itself does not require refrigeration. Although storing your cake in the refrigerator will make it last longer, it is not recommended because doing so will cause it to dry out more quickly.
Conclusion
A sweet dessert that fills the kitchen with the fragrance of warm spices and a buttery aroma is an essential component of any successful gathering. Because of this, the recipe for gingerbread cake is a favorite goody to prepare. It is densely packed with an abundance of spices and molasses, it is moist and natural, and it is something that many people would find hard to resist indulging in.