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This Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake is moist and tender... but it's also PACKED with flavor from rich, syrupy molasses and LOTS of gingerbread spices. A perfect little EASY cake for the holidays!
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4 from 3 votes

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

This Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake is tender, moist and PACKED with flavor from rich, complex molasses and lots of gingerbread spice. Such an easy, simple cake to make during the busy holiday season!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Cakes/Cupcakes, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Dessert, German
Servings: 9 -12
Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup molasses not blackstrap
  • 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup hot water
  • Fresh whipped cream for garnish optional but recommended

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease a 9" square pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a handheld electric mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg and molasses, mixing well after each addition. Add in the spices, baking soda, salt, and flour and mix on slow speed until barely blended. Lastly, carefully stream in the hot water until completely blended and fully incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool completely before cutting into squares.