Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

This Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake has been a staple on Christmas tables for generations! It’s light, fluffy and warmly spiced for an easy dessert recipe that you can make in advance. With a dollop of whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar, this simple treat is a perfectly festive addition to any holiday spread.

You can’t beat the nostalgia or the taste of classic gingerbread cake! This seasonal flavor is loved around the world, and can be found in a variety of baked goods. Gingerbread can refer to anything from a crunchy cut-out cookie to a soft, moist cake. The holiday treat is typically flavored with ginger, cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg, and is sweetened with honey, sugar or molasses.

European settlers originally brought gingerbread to the Americas, and recipes in our country date back to at least 1796 when Amelia Simmons published seven different types of gingerbread in her cookbook, American Cookery (source).

How to make Gingerbread Cake without Molasses:

I love recipes that are native to our home state of Virginia, so I turned to The Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Cookbook when creating this old-fashioned recipe. I’ve kept the recipe almost exactly the same as the original, with the exception of a few tweaks to the seasoning (less ginger, adding cloves, a touch more salt). While gingerbread is often made with molasses, it can also be sweetened with sugar or honey. This traditional Williamsburg version is made without molasses, and instead is sweetened with dark brown sugar.

The end result is a Christmas gingerbread cake with all of the warm spices and flavor that you love, with a lighter, fluffier crumb. The super moist gingerbread cake is not as dense as other recipes that call for molasses, so I find that it’s the best of both worlds!

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Milk
• Dark brown sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda and baking powder
• Ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt
• Egg

The process for making this cake is very similar to making a quick bread: combine the wet ingredients in a saucepan, add them to the sifted dry ingredients in a large bowl, and then stir to combine.

Bake the cake in a 350 degree F oven for about 25-30 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

How to serve Gingerbread Cake:

There are a variety of ways to top the gingerbread, so here are a few options to get you started:

• A dusting of powdered sugar
• A dollop of whipped cream (add grated lemon peel to the whipped cream for a bright, fresh touch)
• A lemon glaze made with powdered sugar, milk and fresh lemon juice
• Cream cheese frosting (we love this recipe)
• Lemon sauce (like the one in this recipe)

Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:

• Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Stir just until combined, but no more. Over-mixing the batter can cause the cake to become tough and dry.
• Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.
• To extend the life of your cake, you can freeze the gingerbread (before adding any powdered sugar, whipped cream or glaze) for up to 3 months.
• Make sure that you allow the butter mixture to cool sufficiently before adding the egg (or you’ll end up with a scrambled egg!).
• I do not recommend substituting light brown sugar for the dark brown sugar in this recipe. While the two are normally interchangeable in most recipes, the dark brown sugar gives this gingerbread the classic color and rich taste that you expect (and it’s especially important since you’re not using molasses).
• This cake has a relatively mild ginger flavor. If you prefer a stronger, spicier cake, add up to 1 tablespoon of ground ginger.

More old-fashioned Christmas recipes that you might enjoy:

• Old-Fashioned Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies
• 3-Ingredient Scottish Shortbread Cookies
• Virginia Oyster Stew
• Old-Fashioned Cranberry Apple Crisp

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

5 from 4 votes

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 27 minutes

Cooling Time 30 minutes

Total: 1 hour 7 minutes

Servings 9 people

Calories 258.7 kcal

This Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake has been a staple on Christmas dessert tables for generations!

Rate RecipePin RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger (or up to 1 tablespoon for a stronger flavor)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Optional, for serving: powdered sugar; whipped cream

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with cooking spray as well, and then set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine the butter and milk. Heat over medium-high, just until the butter is melted and bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
• Stir the egg into the cooled butter mixture.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the butter mixture. Stir just until a smooth batter forms, being careful not to over-mix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
• Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Notes

• Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Stir just until combined, but no more. Over-mixing the batter can cause the cake to become tough and dry.
• Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.
• To extend the life of your cake, you can freeze the gingerbread (before adding any powdered sugar, whipped cream or glaze) for up to 3 months.
• Make sure that you allow the butter mixture to cool sufficiently before adding the egg (or you’ll end up with a scrambled egg!).
• I do not recommend substituting light brown sugar for the dark brown sugar in this recipe. While the two are normally interchangeable in most recipes, the brown sugar gives this gingerbread the classic color and rich taste that you expect (and it’s especially important since you’re not using molasses).
• This cake has a relatively mild ginger flavor. If you prefer a stronger, spicier cake, add up to 1 tablespoon of ground ginger.
• Top the gingerbread with any of the following delicious options:
  • A dusting of powdered sugar
  • A dollop of whipped cream (add grated lemon peel to the whipped cream for a bright, fresh touch)
  • A lemon glaze made with powdered sugar, milk and fresh lemon juice
  • Cream cheese frosting (we love this recipe)
  • Lemon sauce (like the one in this recipe)

Recipe slightly adapted from The Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Cookbook.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 258.7kcalCarbohydrates: 37.7gProtein: 3.6gFat: 11.2gSaturated Fat: 6.9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2.9gCholesterol: 49.8mgSodium: 299.7mgPotassium: 81.1mgFiber: 0.9gSugar: 22.4g

Keyword: easy gingerbread recipe, gingerbread cake, old fashioned gingerbread cake

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Blair Lonergan

Don’t Forget to Share a Pic of What You Made!

Tag me on Instagram at @theseasonedmom

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.