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Easy, Super Moist Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake with Cinnamon Molasses Glaze

Two moist slices of dark gingerbread cake topped with a rich, glossy glaze, served on a white plate.
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This straightforward recipe yields a wonderfully moist gingerbread cake with deep spice flavor, perfect for holiday baking or any cozy winter evening. It uses simple ingredients and results in a tender crumb.

Ingredients

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  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon molasses
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
  3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  4. Beat in the egg until just combined. Then, mix in the molasses and vanilla extract.
  5. In a separate small bowl, whisk the buttermilk into the boiling water. This step helps activate the baking soda and adds moisture.
  6. Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix the batter.
  7. Pour the batter evenly into your prepared baking pan.
  8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
  10. While the cake cools, prepare the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, and 1 teaspoon of molasses. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach a smooth, pourable consistency.
  11. Drizzle the cinnamon molasses glaze evenly over the slightly warm cake. Allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving your homemade gingerbread.

Notes

  • For an extra moist cake, use dark molasses instead of light molasses.
  • You can bake this as a layer cake using two 8-inch round pans; reduce the baking time slightly.
  • This cake pairs well served with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbycarla.com/gingerbread-cake-recipe-moist-easy/