Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Ginger Cake Batter
- 315 g all-purpose flour
- 12 g ground ginger
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 5 g baking soda
- 3 g salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 150 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 340 g unsulphured dark molasses
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 240 ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 30 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 75 g crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting & Garnish
- 225 g cream cheese, softened, full fat block style
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 240 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 1 g salt
- 30 g crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 424 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 64 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 43 g
- Sodium
- 274 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 69 mg
- Potassium
- 417 mg
- Calcium
- 99 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 63 mg
- Phosphorus
- 75 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 154 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.10 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 11 mcg
- Water
- 37 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on the sides for easy removal.
In a medium bowl from your mixing bowls, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer on medium speed to cream the softened unsalted butter and dark brown sugar together for 3 minutes.
Add the dark molasses, grated fresh ginger, and room temperature eggs to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until completely smooth and combined.
Alternate adding the dry flour mixture and the buttermilk to the wet ingredients in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain.
Use a silicone spatula to gently fold the chopped crystallized ginger into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top. Bake at 175°C/350°F for 35 to 40 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool completely for at least 1 hour before frosting.
To make the frosting, place the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter in a clean mixing bowl. Beat with the electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until entirely smooth and clump-free.
Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Whip on high speed for 2 minutes until light, airy, and spreadable.
Use a clean silicone spatula to dollop the cream cheese frosting onto the cooled cake, spreading it out into an even, swooping layer.
Sprinkle the remaining chopped crystallized ginger evenly over the top as a garnish before slicing and serving.
Chef's Notes
- Do not use blackstrap molasses for this recipe. Its intense, bitter, and overly robust flavor will completely overpower the warm spices. Stick to mild or dark unsulphured molasses.
- To grate fresh ginger effortlessly and avoid stringy fibers in your batter, store your whole ginger root in the freezer. Grating it directly from frozen yields a fine, fluffy snow that melts seamlessly into wet ingredients.
- For the cleanest slices, chill the fully frosted cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cutting, and wipe your knife clean with a warm, damp cloth between each slice.
- Measuring flour accurately is crucial for a tender crumb. Use a digital kitchen scale for precision, or lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge to prevent packing.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store tightly covered or in an airtight container to prevent the cream cheese frosting from absorbing other refrigerator odors.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze individual frosted slices tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Do not microwave or the frosting will melt.
Troubleshooting
Frosting is runny, melting, or sliding off the cake
Cause: The cake was not completely cool when the frosting was applied, or the cream cheese was overly warm before mixing.
Fix: Scrape the frosting back into a bowl, refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes to firm up, then rewhip briefly and apply once the cake is fully cold.
Prevention: Ensure the cake rests until completely room temperature to the touch. Use slightly cool, firm but pliable cream cheese.
Cake texture is dense, gummy, or rubbery
Cause: The batter was overmixed after the flour was added, developing too much gluten.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Fold the dry ingredients and buttermilk in gently, stopping the moment the last streaks of flour disappear.
Batter looks curdled or broken during mixing
Cause: Cold eggs or cold buttermilk were added to the room temperature butter, causing the fats to solidify and separate.
Fix: Keep mixing. The batter will usually come back together once the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Prevention: Always bring all dairy and eggs to room temperature before beginning the recipe.
Cultural Context
Gingerbread and heavily spiced molasses cakes trace their origins to medieval European baking traditions, where imported spices were utilized as both a symbol of luxury and a natural preservative. In the United States, the liberal use of molasses created a distinctly softer, darker cake that quickly became a comforting staple of community gatherings. Baking this richly spiced batter in a practical sheet pan format makes it an ideal, unpretentious dessert for sharing during the autumn and winter holidays.
