This old-fashioned gingerbread cake is a great way to celebrate the season! Made in just one bowl, with plenty of molasses, ginger, & cinnamon.

Best Gingerbread Recipe

Hey there! How was your Thanksgiving?

Ours was great. We had lots of friends and family, and lots of good food. Everyone left with full bellies and smiling faces. What more could you want, right?

And now here we are. It’s officially the Christmas season!

We are kicking it off with an easy recipe that’s so classic and beloved for this time of year: gingerbread!

I have lots of gingerbread inspired recipes on this site, like these gingerbread cinnamon rolls, these gingerbread spiced almonds, and these gingerbread donuts. My family loves the warm holiday flavors of brown sugar, molasses, ginger, and spice. They just scream Christmas!

So I thought it was about time I made a proper gingerbread. Just a straight up, traditional, classic gingerbread that is moist, a little sweet, and full of that iconic winter flavor.

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

WHAT IS GINGERBREAD?

Gingerbread is a simple cake that’s made with molasses and ginger.

I think you’ll really like this recipe because it’s all done in just one bowl, and it bakes up nice and moist, with a toasty caramel flavor and lots of warm ginger.

It’s perfect for the holiday season, and it tastes great as a dessert or afternoon snack, with a hot cup of tea.

HOW TO MAKE GINGERBREAD

This is a really easy recipe to make. You only need one bowl! Hooray for less dishes. We are already busy enough at this time of year. Am I right?

Start by combining your butter and hot water in the bowl. Allow it to sit for a few minutes, then whisk together until the butter is all melted.

Next, add your brown sugar, molasses, and egg. If you live outside of the US, you might know molasses by the name “treacle.”

Once you’ve got those ingredients whisked in, it’s time to add the dry stuff: flour, spices, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

This recipe has 2 whole teaspoons of ground ginger in it, plus a teaspoon of cinnamon, so that warm holiday flavor really comes through! If you want to bump up the gingery-ness, try mincing a few pieces of candied ginger, and add that to the mix. You’ll get little pockets of intensely spicy-sweet ginger goodness!

Once the batter is made, just pour it into a 9×9-inch pan. It’s best if you mist it with non-stick spray first, and line it with parchment. That way it will come out of the pan easy-peasy.

Bake it up and enjoy! It’s absolutely delicious warm, but I prefer to let it cool completely before slicing in. The squares just come out a little neater this way.

Easy Gingerbread Cake Recipe

HOW TO SERVE GINGERBREAD

Gingerbread doesn’t need a whole lot extra, because it just has SO much flavor on its own.

But if you want to jazz it up a little, try topping it with a dollop of whipped cream. Or you could frost the whole top with this Whipped Cream Frosting. Or this cream cheese frosting would be fantastic!

Another great option is lemon curd. I absolutely LOVE it, it’s easy to make and the tart lemon flavor is the perfect complement to warm, spicy ginger. Gingerbread plus lemon curd is a classic combination!

HOW TO STORE GINGERBREAD

This gingerbread will keep nicely at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Just make sure to keep it tightly covered so it doesn’t dry out or become stale.

If you still have leftovers after a few days, wrap it up and pop it into the fridge. It should keep there for about a week.

CAN YOU FREEZE GINGERBREAD?

You can definitely freeze this gingerbread cake too! Wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap, then slip it into a zip-top bag.

It should keep in the freezer for a month or two.

When you’re ready to enjoy it, just thaw it at room temperature.

If you’d like to reheat it, just gently warm it in the microwave for 15 or 20 seconds.

Classic Gingerbread Cake Recipe

I hope you enjoy this easy, moist gingerbread cake recipe this holiday season!


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Best Gingerbread Recipe
4.80 stars (10 ratings)

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

Servings: 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
This old-fashioned gingerbread cake is a great way to celebrate the season! Made in just one bowl, with plenty of molasses, ginger, & cinnamon.

Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, mist a 9x9-inch baking pan with non-stick spray, and line it with parchment.
  • Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over it.
  • Allow it to stand for a few minutes, then whisk together until the butter is completely melted. 
  • Whisk in the brown sugar, molasses, and egg until combined.
  • Add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking powder, stirring together until smooth. 
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake the gingerbread for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. 

Notes

A few more classic holiday desserts:
Calories: 207kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 206mg, Potassium: 260mg, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 255IU, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 1.6mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Tried this recipe?Mention @bakingamoment on Instagram or tag #bakingamoment.
Close-up image of a piece of old-fashioned gingerbread cake, with a dollop of whipped cream on top and a text overlay that reads "Old-Fashioned Gingerbread."

Close-up image of a piece of old-fashioned gingerbread cake, with a dollop of whipped cream on top and a text overlay that reads "Old-Fashioned Gingerbread."

Close-up image of a piece of old-fashioned gingerbread cake, with a dollop of whipped cream on top and a text overlay that reads "Old-Fashioned Gingerbread."