This article was co-authored by Ross Canter. Ross Canter is a Professional Baker and the Co-Founder of Cookie Good in Santa Monica, California. Originally a screenwriter, Ross decided to pursue his passion for baking and opened Cookie Good in 2007 with his wife, Melanie. Ross and Melanie opened their brick and mortar bakery in 2014. With over 15 years of experience, Ross specializes in creating high quality cookies with unique flavor options and helping people feel “cookie good” one cookie at a time.
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Gingerbread cake is flavorful and easier to make than gingerbread men. A fresh loaf of gingerbread will last five to seven days. It can be served as a breakfast or spicy dessert.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
- 1/2 cup (113g) butter
- 1 cup (237ml) molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 cups (312g) all-purpose flour/alternative flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. (7g) baking soda
- 1 tsp. (1.8g) ground ginger
- 1 tsp. (2.6g) ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. (1g) ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. (3g) salt
- 1 cup (237ml) hot water
Steps
Creaming Wet Ingredients
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1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Old-fashioned gingerbread doesn’t take long to mix up, so your oven should be ready.
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The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.2Add the sugar and softened butter into your mixer. Turn it on a medium setting until creamed.Advertisement -
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The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.3Crack the egg and add it to your mixture. Mix until it is thoroughly combined. -
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The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.4Add the molasses and mix for one to two minutes.- The key ingredients for gingerbread are molasses and a mix of spices.
- You can use grandma's molasses. It's got a nice balance of sweet and smoky molasses flavor but does not have the bitterness of blackstrap molasses.
- For the spices, use a lot of ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and a few cloves.
- You can substitute one cup (237ml) of honey and four tbsp. (47g) of brown sugar for the molasses and white sugar to make a traditional Alsatian gingerbread. Melt the sugars together on the stovetop before adding.
Sifting Dry Ingredients
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The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.1Measure the flour, salt, baking soda and spices into a bowl.- To make Alsatian gingerbread, replace the all-purpose flour with rye and whole-wheat flour in equal measure.
- To increase the complexity of the flavors, halve the cinnamon and add one-half tsp. (0.9g) of ground anise, one-half tsp. (1.1g) of ground nutmeg and one-half tsp. (0.9g) of ground allspice.[1]
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The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.2Sift them into another bowl to add air. -
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The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.3Add the dry ingredients slowly into the wet ingredients while mixing. -
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The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.4Pour one cup of hot water into the gingerbread batter. Mix until combined.[2]
Baking Gingerbread
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The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.1Butter your cake pan or two loaf pans. -
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The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.2Pour the batter into the pan. -
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The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.3Place the pan in the oven and bake for 50 minutes to one hour. Adjust baking time for a hot or uneven oven. -
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The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.4Insert a butter knife into the center to test if it is done. If it comes out clean, take it out of the oven. Place the pan on a cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I make gingerbread for a gingerbread house?Check out How to Make a Gingerbread House . The gingerbread recipe in this article is unsuitable for making gingerbread houses with due to its cake-like nature.
Things You'll Need
- Oven
- 9-inch cake pan/cake loaf pans
- Flour sifter
- Mixer
- Measuring spoons/cups
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References
About This Article
To make gingerbread, cream the sugar, butter, and egg with an electric mixer. Next, add the molasses and beat the mixture for 1-2 minutes. Measure out the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices and sift them together. Then, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine them thoroughly. Finally, pour the batter into greased cake or loaf pans and bake the gingerbread for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For tips on cooling and storing gingerbread, read on!
