Description
A beautifully moist gingerbread cake made with warm spices, molasses, and hot coffee, baked to perfection in a 9-inch square pan and dusted with confectioners’ sugar. This easy one bowl recipe creates a tender, flavorful cake perfect for holidays or any cozy occasion.
Ingredients
For the Cake
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½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
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½ cup granulated sugar
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¼ cup packed brown sugar
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2 large eggs
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⅔ cup unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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1¼ teaspoons baking soda
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1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
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1¼ teaspoons ground ginger
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½ teaspoon salt
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¼ teaspoon ground allspice
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¼ teaspoon ground cloves
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⅔ cup hot brewed coffee (or hot water)
For Serving
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Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Optional Toppings
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Whipped cream
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Butter-based hard sauce (often with lemon flavoring)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, letting it hang over the edges for easy removal later. This makes cleanup a breeze and ensures your cake won’t stick!
In your mixing bowl, cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes. You want it creamy, smooth, and noticeably lighter in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated, then add the molasses and mix until everything is beautifully combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, allspice, and cloves. Make sure these spices are evenly distributed—this is what gives every bite consistent flavor!
Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two increments, mixing gently after each addition until just combined. Don’t overmix! You want to see no dry streaks, but stop as soon as everything comes together.
Heat your brewed coffee until it’s steaming hot. Now here’s the trick: start by stirring the hot coffee into the batter with a wooden spoon or spatula to avoid splashes, then switch to your electric mixer once it’s incorporated. The batter will become quite thin—this is exactly what you want! Mix until everything is evenly combined.
Pour the gingerbread batter into your prepared pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Pop it onto the middle rack of your oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Let the gingerbread cool completely in the pan before slicing. Once cooled, dust generously with confectioners’ sugar for a beautiful finish. Cut into 9 squares and serve!
Notes
Use a light hand when mixing once you add the flour. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the cake tough instead of tender. Mix until you just don’t see any white streaks.
Line your pan with parchment paper that overhangs the edges—this creates “handles” that make lifting the cake out foolproof. No more broken corners or stuck edges!
Check your spices before baking. Old spices lose their potency, and fresh ground spices make a world of difference in gingerbread. If your spices are more than a year old, it’s time to replace them.
Common mistake to avoid: Using blackstrap molasses. It’s too bitter and strong for this recipe. Always use unsulphured molasses (sometimes labeled as “mild” or “original”).
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American