gingerbread cake on serving platter

Gingerbread Cake-Holiday Classic

Makes a great cake too!

When I think of Christmas I think of gingerbread and the smell of those wonderful spices and how they are harmonious in your mouth.  Mmmmm,  I just love this stuff, especially served with a heaping scoop of whipped cream which completes this holiday classic in one bite!

gingerbread dusted with powdered sugar into shapes
Individual Gingerbread Cakes cut out by cookie cutters

This cake is super easy to put together and bakes ups wonderfully.  You can bake this in a square pan (which entails a longer baking time), or pour into a lined cookie sheet and then cut out individual cakes with cookie cutters when cooled.

Another great serving idea is makes for a easy and fun display.  Cut the cake into medium squares, then cut down each square into a diagonal.  Serve them standing them up on their base as wedges with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, whipped cream, and sprinkles.  Makes for a great presentation.

Gingerbread Cake with whipped cream and sprinkles
Serve in wedges for a fancy presentation and simple dessert

This recipe comes from a discovery in the October issue of Gourmet Magazine 2000.  I remember the first time I tried this recipe and how awesome it was.  So good in fact that it has been in my holiday recipe folder ever since.

I hope you give it a try and I know you will love it as much as I have all these years.  

Cookies or Cake?

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Gingerbread Cake

A perfect cake filled with spices and molasses served as individual holiday shapes perfect for the holidays.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 17 minutes
  • Total Time: 27 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cloves (ground)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1 cup hot water
  • powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Grease a cookie sheet, then place a piece of parchment paper in the pan, spray with cookie spray. greased baking sheet with parchment paper
  2. Preheat oven to 350.
  3. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices and mix well. dry ingredients in a bowl for gingerbread cake
  4. In another bowl or glass measuring bowl, combine the molasses and hot water and mix well. Set aside.
  5. In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugar till fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
  6. Add 1/3 of the flour and mix well then add 1/2 of the molasses water mixture and mix well on low.
  7. Add the other third of flour and mix well, then the rest of the molasses mixture and mix on low till combined. Add the rest of the flour. Mix till creamy and well combined.
  8. Pour into the greased cookie/baking sheet. gingerbread cake batter in a sheet pan ready to bake
  9. Bake about 16-18 minutes till done.
  10. Cool completely. Place covered in the refrigerator till chilled.
  11. Spray cookie cutters with cooking spray. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and cut out shapes with the cutters. cutting out gingerbread cake with cookie cutters
  12. Place the shapes on parchment paper. gingerbread cake pieces cut with cookie cutters
  13. gingerbread cake pieces dusted with powdered sugar served on a platter

Notes

This recipe hails from a Gourmet Magazine issue 2000.  

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