Gingerbread
Old-fashioned gingerbread is the perfect treat to keep on hand during the holidays. There are many different kinds — from the darkest, densest cakes made with robust molasses and stout beer to the lightest, most delicate cakes flavored only with brown sugar and a hint of ground ginger. This recipe, adapted from Cooking with Memories by Lora Brody, is the perfect balance between the two: it’s dark and gingery enough to please the even most serious gingerbread aficionados yet also mild enough for young children, who (in my experience) seem to love it.
The best part is that it’s incredibly quick and easy to make — the batter is mixed by hand and comes together in 15 minutes — and it needs nothing more than a cup of coffee, dollop of sweetened whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream to go along with it.
Begin by spraying the pan with non-stick cooking spray and coating lightly with flour.
Next, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
Combine the brown sugar, molasses, butter and boiling water in a large bowl, and whisk until the butter is melted.
When the mixture is lukewarm, whisk in the egg. (If the mixture is too hot, it will cook the egg.)
Add the dry ingredients.
And whisk until there are no more lumps.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes.
Let cool slightly, then slice and serve warm. It’s truly delicious on its own, especially as a snack, but you can also dress it up for dessert with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Happy Holidays!
Gingerbread
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2/3 cup mild-flavored molasses, such as Grandma's Original (not Robust or Blackstrap)
- 2/3 cup boiling water
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-in square pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add a few tablespoons of flour to the pan; shake and turn pan until bottom and sides are evenly coated with a light dusting flour. Holding pan upside-down over sink, tap out any excess flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine, butter, dark brown sugar, molasses and boiling water. Whisk until butter is melted. When mixture is luke warm, whisk in egg.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined and there are no more lumps. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the edges look dark and the middle feels firm to the touch. Set pan on a rack to cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve. This cake is best served warm out of the oven or reheated.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Serving size: 1 square
- Calories: 138
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Sugar: 16 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 163 mg
- Cholesterol: 19 mg
Reviews & Comments
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Hi Jenn – Do you think I could bake this in a loaf pan? Thanks
Sure, I think that would work. Depending upon the size of your loaf pan, you may have a bit of extra batter, though. Hope you enjoy!
I made this recipe twice and both times it sunk in the middle. Very dissapointing
I just made this and it got a massive thumbs up from my son…definite keeper.
I stumbled upon your site looking for a gingerbread recipe and am thrilled to have got so much more!
Can I safely double the recipe, using a 13 ” pan?
Hi Judy, The cake will be a bit taller but I think it will work just fine.
Hi there. Why not Blackstrap molasses? It’s all I have and won’t bake if it’s really not going to be any good. Thank you for sharing such good recipes. Carolyn
Hi Carolyn, Blackstrap molasses has a much stronger taste. I fear that if you use it here, the gingerbread would taste bitter. Sorry!
I made it with blackstrap and it was delicious!
How long to cook this cake
Hi Meme, the gingerbread should bake for about 35 minutes, or until the edges look dark and the middle feels firm to the touch. Enjoy!
Just made this today! Wow. Perfect. Easy. Moist and delicious! I topped it with a pat of butter when it came out. When cool, sprinkled with powdered sugar! Perfect gingerbread taste!
Perfect Gingerbread recipe. Moist, good texture, perfect amount of spice, easy and delicious. Will make often. Do you have the nutrition info on this?
Just added it, Dianne. Hope that helps!
Love your web site! Great job. Could I get the metric version of this recipe? I could convert it myself but I’ve found this not to be true w/all recipes. I also see that you added the metric button to other recipes, great job!
Thanks Thom. Metric conversions have been added :)!
Made this for Christmas Eve. This gingerbread was delicious and moist, even the non gingerbread lovers raved about it.
What would I need to do to adapt this recipe for cupcakes?
It will work, Caroline – the only thing you’ll need to change is the cook time. I’d start checking them around 15-20 min.
is the gingerbread going to be dry or Little moist? if its going to be dry how can i get it a little moist?
Hi Alexis, I think you’ll find the gingerbread to be plenty moist. Hope you enjoy!
its in the oven right now i am also making it for Christmas!! this is my first homemade baking!!! i am 15. i hope i did ok
Hi there, looking to try this recipe today. Is the oven temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius.
Hi Mikayla, The temperature is Fahrenheit. If you need the metric conversions for this recipe, just let me know and I can add them. Hope you enjoy the gingerbread!
Looks great! I’d like to do this in a 9×6 loaf pan. Would I have extra or need to make more? How long should it bake?
Hi Tina, you may have a little extra batter with that sized pan. It will take a bit longer to bake– I’d start checking it at about an hour.
Loved this! Very moist, full of flavor, and still perfect several days later. If I remember correctly, the pan was about 2/3 full, likely less. I took it out of the oven at about the 45 minute mark. The center was still a little soft, but the sides were springy. Very delicious. Thank you!
This recipe has the two things required of any recipe in order for it to be followed in my house. It’s very easy and very tasty! Thanks for another blue ribbon recipe Jennifer!
I might have missed it, but what temperature should the oven be?
Hi Pat, the oven should be set to 350 degrees. Enjoy the gingerbread!
Hi My mom gave me a silicone pan with 6small houses. I want to use it to bake individual houses for each guest at her Christmas Eve dinner using your recipe. Do I need to adjust the baking temp or time for this style pan?
Hi Jennifer, I think that should work. Because I don’t know the exact size of the houses, it’s hard to say how long they’ll take, but I’d start checking them at about 15 minutes. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
The 3D gingerbread silicone mold idea was a flop they baked unevenly. So I remade it in in a cake pan this time and it came out perfect. Btw even the flops were tasty. Thank you for the recipe and the prompt responses you provide. I will be visiting your site often in the future.
Hi, I want to make this into 3 x 5 loaf pans. 1. approximately how many pans would 1 recipe make and 2. how would I have to adjust the baking?
Thanks!
Hi Margie, I suspect this would make about 3 loaves, but not positive. I’d start checking them about 25 minutes. Would love to hear how they turn out!
Thanks! I’ll let you know how it goes.
Wonderful recipe! I made it yesterday, and ate it today, held up nice. Just what I was craving!
Hello , can I replace molasses with honey ?
Hi Gita, Technically it will work with honey, but it won’t have that typical gingerbread flavor.
Hi Jenn,
I’d like to try this cake for Christmas and I’d like to make it in a vintage hexagon tube pan that I recently acquired. The dimensions are 11 x 10 x 2 1/4. Will I need to shorten the bake time? Thank you. I’ve tried several of your recipes and love them!
Hi Ann, I think you’d actually need to double the recipe in order to have enough batter. (You may not use all of it, so you may have some leftover batter.) Because you’ll have more batter, it will take longer to bake. I’d start checking it at about 55 – 60 minutes.
Sounds good Jenn. Thanks so much.
The gingerbread was excellent. I doubled the recipe as you suggested (and used all of the batter). It was done at 50 minutes. Everyone loved it.
Jen, as always, I love your recipes. Easy and foolproof!
Would this one work with gluten free flour?Have any of your reviewers mentioned anything about this?
Hi Kate, A few reviewers have mentioned that they’ve used gluten-free flour successfully. One mentioned that she had great results with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking flour. Hope that helps!
That’s the kind of gluten flour I have used successfully in a couple of your recipes, myself. Thanks for the response, Jen. Didn’t want to read through all 101 prior reviews.
Hi Jen! Love this cake and make it every holiday! Have you ever made it as muffins? I need to take it to school and think that would be easiest for serving. I know I’ll have to adjust the time, but do you think they’d bake alright in muffin papers? Thanks 🙂
Hi Erin, Glad you like the cake! These could be turned into muffins. They’ll be small muffins–you could do 1 1/2 times the recipe to make them a little bigger but keep in mind that they won’t dome like cupcakes do. They should be fine in muffin papers. I would start checking them for doneness after about 20 minutes.
I am freaking out, it has been in for full time but when I went to take it out it is still totally liquidy! What do I do?
Hi Alysha, I’m sorry you had a problem with this! Is there a possibility you made a mistake measuring the ingredients? If not, your oven temp may need to be checked– Place an oven thermometer (you can pick one up at most grocery stores) on the center rack and heat the oven for 15 minutes. If your thermometer reads higher or lower than your oven setting (325°F with the oven set at 300°F, for example), you can get the oven calibrated or just adjust the setting in the future to make up for it.
It is everything I’d hoped it would be: bold, spicy ginger flavor and rich buttery taste. Thank you for the gingerbread recipe I’ve been searching for, Jenn!
If I were to double the recipe, would I double the bake time?
Hi Denise, I would bake in two separate pans and keep the bake time the same.
Can I use sorghum
Hi Gail, I don’t have any experience with sorghum, so I can’t say for sure how it would work here. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I like the deep ginger flavor but it is far too sweet for my taste. Can I reduce the molasses and brown sugar by half or more without changing the other ingredients? I have seen a recipe that called for 1/4 cup of molasses and brown sugar, each. I would like to try to reduce it similarly, but would appreciate guidance on whether something else will need adjusting too. I had the same experience as other bakers with the baking time recommended in that it did not seem cooked in the bottom of the center. I would like to make it for Christmas dinner, if I can correct these issues.
Thanks,
Hi Patricia, You can reduce both the sugar and the molasses by 1/2. Using only half the molasses will definitely change the flavor of the gingerbread; it will still be good but won’t have as strong a gingerbread taste.
Hi ,
Any substitute at all for molasses. Don’t have time to grab it. Thanks in advance.
Hi Sa, Unfortunately, molasses is a key ingredient in gingerbread. You could make it with honey or maple syrup, but it won’t have the same flavor.
Hello this seems like a recipe I’d love to try since it got great reviews. Would you recommend covering with fondant and how long would you recommend freezing it for? TIA
Hi Filly, This isn’t a typical recipe for fondant icing, but I think you could get away with it. And you could freeze it for up to a couple months.
Hi Jenn, thanks so much for your reply 🙂
My childhood memories are of having applesauce on top and am forward to trying this! Gingerbread cake must be right out of the oven tho!
I cannot get molasses, Can I substitute golden syrup and treacle?
Hi Dee, I don’t think there’s any perfect substitute for molasses, but a few readers have used maple syrup, so you give that a try. (Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried it this way.)
Molasses is an not a common ingredient in Australia (you would really have to scout around for it) and so I’ve used golden syrup (which conversely I feel like maybe isn’t really a thing in America – could be wrong though) and it’s worked fine.
I did this recipe as the base for a gingerbread peach upside-down cake, and it turned out nicely. After greasing and flouring but before adding the batter to the pan, I peeled and sliced 3 fresh ripe peaches, and mixed together 1/3 cup melted butter and 1/3 cup dark brown sugar. The butter-sugar mixture got spread over the bottom of the pan, the peaches were arranged in a nice design on top of that, then the batter was poured over the whole thing. I lengthened the cooking time by 5 minutes to account for some of the extra moisture, cooled it for 15 minutes in the pan, then turned it out onto a cutting board to serve with fresh vanilla whipped cream. This whole process worked really, really well, and gave a summery twist to the gingerbread, which I usually think of as a fall dessert. Great cake recipe!
Is this form of gingerbread considered German?
Hi Jack, not that I know of. I know Germany has something called Lebkuchen, which resembles gingerbread, but my version is just a good ol’ american version :).
Loved this recipe! How would you recommend reheating this cake to make it taste like it’s fresh from the oven?
Hi Andi, Glad you liked it! I would recommend putting in the toaster oven on a low setting for a round or two just enough to warm it up a bit.
Years ago I ate gingerbread that had been made in cast iron corn bread pans. It was crunchy on the outside and soft/moist on the inside. Could this recipe be done that way and how would the cooking temp/time change?
Hi Ann, I think you could get away with preparing them in the cast iron bread pans and don’t think any changes are necessary. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
I was looking for a quick recipe to make gingerbread this morning and found this one. So simple! The results were surprisingly delicious. This will remain in my permanent files. For the frosting, I added Kahlua and orange zest. Thank you so much, Jenn! Much appreciated.
I made this today while my grandson napped. It was so easy and so good! I made a lemon sauce to pour over it. I followed the directions exactly. My grandson loved it as did everyone else!
What a tasty treat! As a gluten-free and dairy free diner I made a few adjustments and was impressed / relieved that it still came out with a light texture. I substituted Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking flour for the wheat flour and coconut oil for the butter. I also doubled up on the spices, to suit my pro-ginger tastes, and cooked it in parchment paper rather than a floured pan.
I tried the gluten free flour, but kept the butter. The cake fell in the middle…. but not sure that is why. Any thoughts? Still, it’s DELICIOUS.
I am interested in doubling the recipe and cooking in a bundt pan like some of the other reviewers. Does this change the time for cooking it? Same temp as well?
The oven temp can remain the same, but you’ll need to bake it for longer. I’m not certain how long it will take, but I would start checking it after about 50 – 60 minutes.
Could this be made in a bunt pan
Yes Pat, I think you could, but you’re likely to need more batter– you may need to double the recipe to ensure that you have enough.
Followed the recipe with no modifications to the ingredients, though I did make it in an 8×8 pan and it was just fine. I originally was concerned the spices wouldn’t come through because I love spices, but I was wrong! The spices come through beautifully. The whipped cream kicks it up a level if you are serving to guests, otherwise you can just enjoy it as is – even for breakfast :).
This gingerbread was amazing and so easy to make! I’ve added the recipe to my binder of favorites. Thank you for sharing it!
My husband absolutely loves Gingerbread! And this recipe was well received! Super easy and fast to prepare, and double that for the eating! Thanks for the great recipe!
What kind of molasses is used?
Any mild-flavored molasses will work, such as Grandma’s Original (not Robust or Blackstrap).
can this gingerbread recipe be made in mini loaf pans and frozen
Hi Sherry, Yes, I think you could prepare these in mini loaf pans. Depending upon the size of the loaf pans, you may need to adjust the cooking time. I’d start checking them at about 25 minutes. And the cake freezes well; just wrap with foil and place in a freezer bag.
Any suggestions on how to convert this to muffins?
Yes Bronwyn, these could be converted to muffins. They will be small muffins–you could do 1 1/2 times the recipe to make them a little bigger but keep in mind that they won’t dome like cupcakes do. I would start checking them for doneness after about 20 minutes.
Do you think you could substitute 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour in this recipe?
Yes, I think you could get away with that Marilyn. Let me know how it turns out!
This was amazing! Easily the best cake I have ever made. Super easy to boot. I was a bit heavy handed with the spice measures, and used 65% molasses & 35% golden syrup because I’m in Australia and couldn’t figure out whether the molasses I’d bought was blackstrap or not. Then finshed it off striaght out of the oven with a port wine & golden syrup glaze. Turned out absolutely divine served with double cream.
I just made this cake. It was a super easy recipe but I find it lacking in ginger and/or spice flavor. I would try it again but revise the amount of spice. I would use ginger puree perhaps to add flavor.
Eva,
It is very important that your spices are not old. Most cooks don’t realize that seasonings and spices have a shelf life once opened to the air. That could have been the problem. Trying it again, it is delicious!
I made this last Thanksgiving to accommodate a guest who doesn’t care for pie (not sure how that’s possible!) and it ended up being one of the most popular desserts that day. It was perfectly spiced, light and delicious. Will definitely add this to my repertoire for future holiday meals.
This cake was wonderful. The only thing I did differently was I dehydrated fresh ginger and then ground it in my coffee grinder. I followed the recipe proportions as written, including the ginger. The cake turned out very good. I served the cake with a homemade apple pie filling on top. Awesome.
Do you know how many cups of batter this makes? I would like to double or triple this to make into a bundt cake for the holidays.
Hi Debra, Unfortunately, I didn’t measure. I’m guessing you would double it, though. Please let me know how it turns out — great idea 🙂
Hi – doubled the recipe and made it as a bundt cake and it was AWESOME!!! Definitely the new family favorite.
How long did this take to bake using a Bundt pan?
We are going to the Mountains for Thanksgiving and I would like to bake this and freeze it prior to going. Is this possible and are there any suggestion for freezing this dessert.
Hi Deborah, This cake freezes well; just wrap with foil and place in a freezer bag and you’ll be good to go 🙂
Sounds good! Can this be baked in a loaf pan?
Hi Karin, Yes that should work.
Hello. How long would you recommend to bake in a loaf pan? Thank you.
Hi Miggs, Yes, I think you could prepare these in a loaf pan. Depending upon the size of the loaf pan, you may need to adjust the cooking time. I’d start checking at about 25 minutes.
I made this for Thanksgiving dessert. Everyone loves it… I served it with a Pomegranate compote on top. I am going to keep making this.
I’ve made many a recipe trying to recreate an old favorite….this is the closest and best by far. I opted for golden syrup and used 60grams of butter for conversion to Australian standards and it was perfectly moist, with excellent flavours.
Dear Jen,
Is it possible to use rye flour in this recipe? For full ir partial substitution of wheat flour? If yes, would other ingredients need any adjustments? Thank you very much in advance.
Hi Marina, I would probably not use rye flour in this recipe, as it would change the flavor quite a bit. Sorry!
Looks great, but can I make it in a bundt pan? How would I adjust the cook time? Thanks!
Hi Ann, I’m afraid there’s not enough batter for this recipe to work in a bundt pan. Sorry!
I came across this recipe on my Facebook newsfeed and was intrigued. Baking is not my strong suit, but the instructions were so detailed and helpful. This was simply amazing. My kids absolutely loved it and requested it for Christmas Eve! Thank you! I may just try baking something else! 🙂
I needed a quick dessert for an impromptu holiday gathering last weekend. This fit the bill perfectly – no waiting for butter to soften! The cake turned out moist and was very delicious served with a bit of lightly sweetened whipped cream and some pomegranate seeds on top as a garnish. I can always count on Once Upon a Chef for a no-fail and delicious crowd-pleasing recipe.
Everyone in the house loved this. With some fresh made whip cream it was soooo good!
I made this for Christmas gift plates last year. We baked them as individual loaves and they turned out great! We wrapped them in cellophane and added one loaf to each plate. I agree with the other reviewer that you can sub maple syrup for molasses. It lightens the flavor quite a bit, but it is still very tasty!
This is wonderful and easy! It’s great for company or just whenever you want something sweet (but not too sweet). I’ve made it several times & it’s always great!
Moist a d delicious! If I don’t get ny piece first, it is gone before I know it. Love serving this if fall with string coffee areond the fire.
I usually make gingerbread for my husband’s birthday and thought I’d give this one a try. It was quick and easy to put together. I loved that it was a mild molasses taste and not so sharp as other recipes. I would make this again.
This is just lovely!
I made your gingerbread cake today and absolutely delicious…….it was such a hit with my boyfriend. Just the right blend of spices and so moist. Do you have a good recipe for cream cheese frosting?
Hi Diane, Check out my vanilla birthday cake recipe for cream cheese frosting. It makes a ton, so definitely cut the recipe in half.
I love gingerbread & can’t wait to try your recipe. When I lived in Louisiana, many years ago, an elderly lady at church made gingerbread with an amazing pineapple glaze/frosting. Any ideas on how to make a pineapple topping??
Hi Janet, If I were to make a pineapple glaze, I’d probably start with crushed pineapple, butter and brown sugar and cook it down into a thick syrup. Hope that helps!
Can I double this for a 13 x 9 pan?
Hi Lynn, The cake will be a little taller but I think it will work fine.
I made this for my family at Christmas. I didn’t have quite enough molasses, so I subbed a little maple syrup to make up the difference (to answer the question about substitutes). No one could tell, and it was just delicious. This is going to be a family tradition, I think. Thanks for sharing a delicious treat!
Made as is with no modifications and the buttercream icing. Huge hit
you have a lovely blog here. bookmarked your website. this looks really good, you take beautiful pics.
Woops, silly me made this with blackstrap (I didn’t see the “not,” just the “blackstrap” bit >.<)…it turned out as dark as a very dark chocolate cake, and quite heavy on molasses flavour! I've never really seen "light" molasses though – I think in non-American countries (I'm from Australia) that's called golden syrup or treacle for the medium-dark stuff.
LOVE GINGERBREAD.
MY MOM WAS FROM KENTUCKY, AND THOSE SOUTHERN COOKS KNOW HOW TO MAKE THE BEST GINGERBREAD,, SHE ALWAYS TOPPED OURS EITHER A LEMON SAUCE OR RAISIN SAUCE .. IT IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST I MYSELF LOVE THE RISIN SAUCE OVER IT..
TRY IT AND YOU WILL LIKE IT
MARY
This looks incredible! However it seems we don’t have any molasses, is there anything I could substitute?
Hi Fatima, I’m afraid there’s no substitute for molasses. Sorry!
For all the Aussies etc…
Black Treacle is the substitute for molasses.
Hi Jenn, I made your gingerbread yesterday and it is the best I have ever had. You are so creative and come up with the most delicious recipes. This gingerbread is soooo moist and the balance of spices is perfect. Great job as always!! Love your website!!!!!
Thank you, Judy…so nice to hear!
I just made this for a playdate snack and it was a huge hit, thanks !
Jenn, if you were to add icing to this, what would you recommend?
Hi Maya, it would be good with my vanilla buttercream (search for my vanilla bday cake), and you could add a little cinnamon if you like.
I used cream cheese frosting its wonderful
Oh brilliant! This mail came through just as I was looking for something to bake…sorted! Thanks x
Jenn – I love how you always make classic versions of classic recipes! There are so many blogs out there that do the craziest modifications but I appreciate how I can always come here for tried and true classic recipes. Thanks, and can’t wait to try this gingerbread!