Description
Ina Garten’s gingerbread cake brings warmth and spice to holiday dessert tables. Rich molasses and aromatic spices create a comforting classic you’ll savor with each delightful slice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ⅓ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (340 g) unsulphured molasses
- 1 cup (8 oz/240 ml) sour cream
- ¼ lb (1 stick/113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 ½ tsps ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsps grated orange zest
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup (80 g) golden raisins
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dark rum or water
- ⅓ cup (50 g) minced dried crystallized ginger (not in syrup)
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar (optional)
- 2 tbsps plus 1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
Instructions
- Preparation: Warm the oven to 350°F. Line and grease an 8 x 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper, ensuring complete coverage to prevent sticking.
- Rum-Soaked Raisins: Simmer raisins with rum in a saucepan until liquid bubbles, then remove from heat and let raisins absorb the liquid while preparing other ingredients.
- Molasses Base: Melt molasses and butter together over medium heat, stirring until fully combined and slightly bubbling. Transfer to mixer bowl and cool for 5 minutes, then blend in sour cream and orange zest until smooth.
- Dry Ingredient Blend: Whisk flour, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda in a separate bowl, ensuring even distribution of spices using hands.
- Batter Creation: Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into molasses mixture on low mixer speed. Fold in rum-soaked raisins and crystallized ginger using a spatula until evenly distributed.
- Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the top turns golden brown.
- Finishing Touch: Cool gingerbread completely in pan. Whisk orange juice and confectioners’ sugar to create a smooth glaze. Drizzle over cake, allowing it to cascade down sides. Let glaze set for 10-15 minutes before slicing into 9 equal squares.
Notes
- Rum-Soaked Raisins Technique: Gently heat raisins with rum to plump them, creating burst of flavor and moisture in each bite without alcohol overpowering the cake.
- Molasses Mixing Method: Cool molasses-butter mixture slightly before adding other wet ingredients to prevent curdling and maintain smooth batter consistency.
- Spice Distribution Tip: Use hands to mix dry spices thoroughly, ensuring even flavor throughout the gingerbread and preventing clumping of ground spices.
- Glaze Setting Trick: Allow cake to cool completely before drizzling orange glaze, which helps create a clean, professional-looking finish and prevents soggy texture.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg