A timeless, classic, traditional Gingerbread recipe! This is one of my family’s favorite recipes. It makes for a dense but soft, moist, and richly flavored old-fashioned recipe, perfectly flavored with molasses, brown sugar, and lots of cozy spices! Recipe includes a how-to video at the bottom of the post!
A Classic, Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Recipe
Not to be confused with gingerbread cookies, this old-fashioned gingerbread cake is a perfectly spiced holiday staple and has been in my family for decades. It originated from the same source as my favorite angel food cake: my mom’s well-worn Good Housekeeping cookbook.
I knew that I wanted to share a gingerbread recipe for the holidays, but not just any recipe, I wanted it to be this one.
Humble and rustic in appearance, the flavor of gingerbread is anything but with bright and cozy winter spices. It tastes incredible served warm with a dollop of homemade whipped cream (though many readers have said that they top theirs with lemon curd, instead!).
Let’s get to it!
I won’t go over every ingredient, but I did want to touch on a few of the key players in today’s recipe and why we’re using them (plus a few things to keep in mind when you’re searching for these ingredients in the grocery store!).
- Molasses. Molasses is an absolutely critical ingredient for true gingerbread flavor. This ingredient is often sold in several varieties, you will want to make sure that you grab a bottle that says “unsulphured” on the label. This has a milder (in a good way) flavor than sulphured molasses. I often use Grandma’s brand molasses or Brer Rabbit “full flavor” molasses (pictured above). If you can’t find either of these brands, make sure that you use a “dark” molasses and avoid “blackstrap” variety, which can be quite bitter.
- Butter. My family’s recipe originally used shortening, and you can feel free to use an equal amount of shortening in this recipe instead. However, after lots of taste-testing I decided I much preferred the flavor of real butter. If you can find it, grab yourself European-style butter (usually sold right beside “regular’ butter), which has a higher fat content and gives the gingerbread an even better flavor and more tender texture.
- Sugar. Dark brown sugar is best for this recipe as it contains a higher amount of molasses and lends itself to the rich flavor of this cake. Don’t forget that if you don’t happen to have this ingredient on hand, you can always follow my easy tutorial on how to make brown sugar!
- Flour. Use all-purpose flour, I have not tried this recipe with any substitutions and definitely advise that you avoid self-rising flour.
- Spices. This recipe uses a cozy blend of wintery spices: ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and cloves work with the flavors of the molasses for a true gingerbread flavor. Your house is going to smell amazing.
- HOT water. Very hot or boiling water is critical to this recipe as it helps to evenly incorporate all of the ingredients for a smooth, cohesive batter and (perhaps most importantly) blooms the spices for the best possible flavor.
How to Make Gingerbread
- Cream together butter and brown sugar (I recommend using an electric mixer) and then stir in molasses, egg, and vanilla extract until batter is well-combined. Sometimes you may notice that the mixture appears a bit piecey/separated at this point, that is OK! Everything will come together in the end!
- Separately whisk together your dry ingredients, then gently stir the dry ingredients into the butter/molasses mixture.
- Stir in HOT or boiling water (carefully!) until ingredients are smooth and well combined. Make sure batter is uniform in appearance, as not properly mixing could cause the cake to sink.
- Pour into a 9×9″ pan and cook until baked through.
I recommend slicing and serving yours while it’s still warm rather than waiting to allow it to cool completely. Don’t get me wrong, the leftovers are incredible, but there’s just something so delectable about still-warm gingerbread (topped with whipped cream, of course!).
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several reasons this can happen, but I’d like to cover the two most likely reasons:
1) If the cake is under-baked or the oven door is opened too many times before the cake is fully baked, the gingerbread may sink.
2) If the batter sits too long before making its way into the oven, the baking soda can begin to react with the other ingredients too quickly. This chemical reaction needs to take place in your oven, not on your countertop, so make sure your oven is preheated and ready to go and don’t let the batter sit around once it’s all mixed together — get it in the oven right away!
I recommend using a 9×9″ (23x23cm) square metal baking pan. A glass pan may also be substituted but keep in mind the gingerbread will take longer to bake this way. An 8×8″ (20x20cm) pan that is deep enough (don’t fill higher than ¾ of the way full) will also work but will similarly take longer to bake. I have not tried this recipe in any other size pan.
The toothpick test is one of the best ways to tell if gingerbread is finished baking. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or, preferably, with a few moist crumbs (but not wet batter).
Alternatively, look for a cake that is slightly puffed in the center and springs back to the touch if you lightly touch with the pad of your finger. Small cracks on the surface of the cake are also normal and indicative of a cake that’s finished baking. If the cake is jiggly or wet looking, it is going to need more time in the oven.
Under-baking can cause a sunken cake and over-baking can cause a dry one, so making sure your gingerbread is properly baked is critical!
Gingerbread is inherently slightly dense and heavy in texture, but each bite is perfectly flavored and moist and just melts in your mouth. This is the perfect cozy wintertime treat, and I think you’re going to love it!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Gingerbread
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter (preferably European-style butter, if you can find it) softened to room temperature (may substitute vegetable shortening)
- ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup (235 ml) unsulphured molasses (do NOT use blackstrap molasses — check the back of your bottle/ingredients to make sure it is not blackstrap)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (235 ml) boiling water
- Whipped Cream for topping, optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare a 9"x9" (23x23cm) metal baking pan by either generously greasing and flouring or by lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine butter and brown sugar in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until creamy.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter (preferably European-style butter, if you can find it), ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar
- Add molasses and stir until well combined.1 cup (235 ml) unsulphured molasses
- Add egg and vanilla extract. Stir well.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt.2 ½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet until completely combined.
- Carefully stir in boiling water until ingredients are smooth and well-combined.1 cup (235 ml) boiling water
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake in the center rack of 350F (175C) preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow to cool before slicing and serving. This Gingerbread tastes best when topped with whipped cream!Whipped Cream
Notes
Toppings
My family always tops this recipe with a batch of my homemade whipped cream, but many people also enjoy it topped with warm lemon curd!Storing
Store in an airtight container (or tightly covered in the pan it was baked in) at room temperature for up to 3 days. Note: This recipe has been one my family has used since I was a child and has been closely adapted from Good Housekeeping (affiliate).Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
More Holiday Recipes to Try:
This Gingerbread recipe was originally published 12/15/2017. Recipe remains the same, but the post has been updated to include video and more helpful tips.
Patricia McDermott
Easy Peezy recipe love the use of the spices I had to bake this in an 11“ x 7“ pan a brownie pan because I couldn’t find my 9 x 9“ pan since my move had to give up some of my baking supplies but I was able to get most of what I needed for this I didn’t have access to dark brown sugar, but I had plenty of light brown sugar and that seem to work as well. Thanks for such a nice recipe.
Abby
My family is sensitive to things being too sweet. I usually use 1/2 of the sugar in any given recipe, sometimes less. Considering how little there is to begin with here, what would you recommend cutting? I’m afraid cutting the molasses would affect the flavor too much.
Sam
Hi Abby! I’m not sure how much I would advise cutting the sugar here. It really adds to the flavor and moisture, but you can always experiment with it and see how it goes.
Jen
Hi! I’m hoping to make this for Christmas day in individual loaf pans. Any thoughts on leaving it in the pans and how many days in advance I can make it? Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Jen! That will work just fine. This recipe can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
lorraine
I baked this in a 9by13 inch pan and cut into wee squares.Now I will dip each square in white and milk chocolate and pipe a little bow on top. Very pretty and festive. Family and friends love these bite sized cuties!
Sue
This cake would also make a good cheesecake cake: top & bottom layer gingerbread with a cheesecake layer in the center, all covered with cream cheese frosting.
Sarah c
The recipe is delicious! Just don’t be a molasses newb like me and use backstrap molasses. Its very bitter. I had to make a simple syrup to brush on it op and then i also added powdered sugar to the top before the whipped cream. But I’m sure with a light molasses, this cake would be great. The texture and moistness were great.
Anj
Great recipe-it’s cooling now and smells fantastic.
Am I blind, or is the flour missing from the ingredients list?
You do have it in the video, though, so I was able to get it from there.
We added raisins that we soaked in OJ.
Thanks for the recipe!
Sam
I hope you love it, Anj! The flour is in the ingredients list. It’s between the vanilla extract and the baking soda. 🙂
Steve
The quality of the cake is first class. I was concerned when adding the boiling water because the batter turned to soup but it turned out great. I did test the cake with a toothpick at 40 minutes and it was not done AND the center collapsed.After 8 more minutes that toothpick came out clean and even though the middle had collapsed, the center of the cake was still perfect.
I will make it again but will decrease the cloves a tad and bake it for 48 minutes before testing it. I used parchment paper at the bottom of the pan but will try doing the sides too on the next go at it. The quality of this cake is AMAZING. Best recipe off the net I’ve ever gotten. Thanks!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Steve! 🙂
Steve
I was incorrect for saying that I would cut back on the cloves. I did not read your recipe carefully so used black strap molasses and that was what gave the gingerbread a slight bitter taste that I attributed to cloves. My apologies for thinking that I could improve on perfection.
Vicki
Looking for Gingerbread recipes, the variations are great. Yours calls for 2 1/2 cups of flour, and another recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of flour for the same sized pan. That is quite a difference! Is there an advantage of using more flour?
Sam
Hi Vicki! I haven’t seen the other recipe so I can’t comment on it (maybe they use less liquid/makes a smaller quantity in the same size pan, etc.) but this recipe is the one we’ve been using for years and are very happy with how it turns out. If you give it a try, let me know how you like it!
Elizabeth Olney
Best gingerbread of my life! I followed the recipe exactly except that I added raisins and didn’t add topping. The batter smelled delightful during preparation and the house smelled like Christmas during the baking. It was love at first bite!
Elizabeth
I made this in a nonstick snowflake-shaped pan that was about 10.5×9.5 (I think the volume was about the same as a 9×9 square pan because the snowflake had irregular sides). I ended up having to bake it 15 minutes longer until the center was done. Because of that, the edges got a bit overdone. It still tasted good though. I would recommend not using a snowflake pan! (Although it did look awesome). I thought the recipe was easy to make and unique. Thank you!
Julia
This is a very easy and delicious recipe with a lovely traditional gingerbread flavor. It turned out well even with the adaptions I had to make for dietary needs: I used GF flour and subbed 1/4 cup club soda for the egg. I will make this again for sure, maybe adding more ginger next time. (We like it very spicy around here).
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Julia! Thank you so much for your feedback using substitutions. 🙂
Allyson Cox
I’m not a fan of clove. Any suggestions on how this would stand up to having very little to none? Any suggestions on substitutes for clove? I’m thinking maybe just use less. It’s tough considering I haven’t tasted the original to see if it’s too much or not. I just know I’m sensitive to clove.
Thanks for any help!
Sam
Hi Allyson! The gingerbread will certainly still turn out without the cloves. There isn’t a good substitute for it. The gingerbread could probably still even taste good, but the flavor won’t be as prominent as it should be.
Tammy
This looks fabulous and I can’t wait to try it.
Just one question: do you know about what elevation you usually cook at? It’ll help me guestimate any necessary alterations.
Sam
I am at 930 feet 🙂
Miranda Maguire
Incredible, I used a small pan of water in the oven with it when I baked and this is without a doubt the most moist cake I have ever made.