Gingerbread Spice Cake
Gingerbread has a rich and nostalgic past! Just the scent alone probably triggers a vision of “The Holidays” for a lot of the western world. But beyond the normal Christmas sweets association, what’s interesting is that removed from the context of little cutout cookies or pie plates, Gingerbread Spice and Pumpkin Pie Spice are actually great fragrant and aromatic blends that can be used in really interesting and unique Indian-Masala dishes- the combination of ginger, allspice, black pepper, and cinnamon is a popular medley that has a variety of sweet and savory potential.
Gingerbread Spice was developed as a vision for creating a kind of “one stop shop” when planning your holiday architectural masterpiece, but is also a great option if you don’t love a cookie that’s claim to fame is its structural integrity. This cake is a perfect dish for entertaining because of just how little fuss is needed to present it- because of how incredibly flavorful it is, the last thing you want to do is overwhelm it with any icing or frosting, so a simple dusting of powdered sugar is all it takes to round out the cake. Its deep and beautiful color is reminiscent of the classic gingerbread cookie, but instead it has a soft and tender texture.
If you don’t already, we definitely recommend reading ALL baking recipes through at least once beforehand as they tend to have specific directions or instructions that are necessary for ensuring a consistent result- a lot of baking magic can be contributed to some kitchen chemistry. Though it seems arbitrary, whisking together your more acidic ingredients (like brown sugar and molasses) with the baking soda and allow it to sit triggers a chemical acid-base reaction that causes it to fizz- similar to if you ever built a science fair volcano. This reaction introduces some air in the batter and creates a little lift, and it also helps to loosen the thick and dense molasses so that it can be more evenly distributed.
Beyond the simple powdered sugar topping we just applauded in a previous paragraph, this cake would also be great with a little dollop of whipped cream and a cup of coffee.
- 2/3 Cup brown sugar, packed
- 2/3 Cup molasses
- 2/3 Cup boiling water
- 1/4 Cup unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 Large egg
- 1 ½ Cups al purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp Gingerbread Spice Blend
- Powdered sugar for garnish
- Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, molasses, boiling water, and butter until butter melts. Whisk in baking soda and salt, and let mixture stand until cooled. Whisk in egg.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, and 2 Tbsp Gingerbread Spice Blend. Add wet mixture. Whisk until smooth and well incorporated.
- Grease a 9inch pan with butter, and then flour. Pour mixture into pan.
- Place in oven, and bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and cool in pan for around 10 minutes and then place on cooling rack.
- Dust cake with powdered sugar and serve!
