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.
Barbara Hayes
We love lemon sauce with our gingerbread!!
Jo-Ann
We usually eat our gingerbread with cream cheese frosting. Didn’t give a rating because it’s in the oven now. Super easy
Lisa
Can I use pancake syrup instead of molasses? The rest of the recipe sounds great, but I have to make it first🙂
Sam
Hi Lisa! I don’t think I’d recommend making this one with pancake syrup instead. The Molasses is what really makes this Gingerbread.
Lisa
Thanks Sam! I guess I need to get some molasses😉🙂
Jan Heidel
Great recipe. It’s easy but has wonderful flavor. I made 10 loaves to give at Christmas. Every single one came out perfect.
Sam
That’s a lot of baking! I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Sue
Can regular brown sugar be used instead of dark brown ?
Sam
Hi, Sue. Regular brown sugar will work just fine. 🙂
Eunice Cash
If you don’t have unsalted butter how much salt should be used or does it matter.
Sam
Hi, Eunice. If you only have salted butter, cut the salt down to half a teaspoon. 🙂
Patr
I was looking for a great gingerbread recipe- this was tasty, fluffy, and simple to make. Kudos!
I added about 1/8 tsp cayenne, a trick a friend taught me making gingerbread cookies. It complements ginger’s natural spiciness.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Clara
So yummy
Ardala
Just FYI – I made this and then realized I only had an 8×8 pan, not a 9×9. I left a little room at the top (which means I had to leave some batter out) and it turned out just fine. Didn’t even overflow the pan (barely!). I suppose I could have also scooped into my cupcake tin, but I hadn’t prepared that. The whole apartment smells lovely and the cake is delicious. Do not let a slightly small pan thwart your gingerbread dreams!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Ardala! 🙂
Terry C.
It is Christmas night and we needed dessert. Got a hankering for fresh hot gingerbread and came straight to your recipe. Fantastic and hit the spot. So easy to make. It turned out perfect and I made fresh vanilla whipped cream to top it. Absolutely perfect and it is my recipe for amazing gingerbread.
Thank you for sharing your recipe! YUMMY!!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Terry! 🙂
Rebecca Mueller
Can this batter be made the night before and kept in the refrigerator to bake in the morning?
Sam
Hi, Rebecca. I would worry that you would run into issues due to the baking soda and the batter may dry out. That being said, I haven’t tried it so I don’t know for sure. 🙂
Didi
I love baking and I enjoyed your ginger bread. Thank so much for your recipe
Sam
Thank you so much, Didi! 🙂
Christina
Hi this recipe for ginger bread looks great. I love everything ginger. I have a question. Where did you get those ginger bread men measuring spoons? They are so cute i want them for my self.
Sam
Hi, Christina! I got them at my local mall at a store called Francesca’s.
Brianna
Will this recipe work if I use my silicone gingerbread house cake mold and flip out without sticking?
I am thinking no, since I see in one of the pics you u parchment paper….but just in case I thought I would ask.
Sam
Hi, Brianna. I don’t use silicone molds often, the gingerbread is like a dense moist cake so I don’t know if it will work.
Amy Gehrke
Wonderful, easy, and super delicious. It’s so good right off the spoon!!
Sam
Thank you so much, Amy. I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Joyce Lindner
Very easy receip e to follow, it’s in the oven. Smells so good rainy day here in Central California. Great day for baking.
Bean soup for dinner, gingerbread for dessert. Doesn’t get much better.
Thank you for sharing receipe.
Merry Christmas.
Joyce
Sam
Thank you so much, Joyce! That certainly sounds like a great night of food to me! 🙂