Gingerbread Cake – I Heart Naptime

Why I Love This Cake

• It’s an easy dessert I can whip up in under an hour. I typically always have what I need on hand.
• It’s a classic holiday dessert ready in under an hour. It’s the perfect way to end Christmas dinner.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Baking staples: Large egg (bring to room temperature with the butter), vanilla, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Unsalted butter: It needs to be soft enough to cream easily and blend evenly, so remember to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you begin.
• Sugars: I use white sugar and packed brown sugar for sweetness. The combination is great because the brown sugar adds that extra bit of molasses-y flavor.
• Unsulphured molasses: I use Grandma’s brand of unsulphured fancy molasses. I prefer the flavor, and don’t taste any hints of that “chemical” flavor I find sulphured molasses can have.
• Spices: Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves.
• Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce is made without added sugar and adds a hint of apple flavor and extra moisture.
• Very hot water: For thinning out the molasses so it mixes into the batter better. It can be quite thick and sticky!
• For the spiced cream cheese frosting: Softened cream cheese and butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream or milk, vanilla, and allspice.
• Optional garnish: Fresh rosemary and cranberries to top it off!

• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Then, add egg, vanilla, and molasses and mix until the wet ingredients are fully incorporated.
• Next, add the flour (spoon and level to ensure you’re not adding too much), baking soda, spices, and salt. Mix to combine, being careful not to overmix. Scrape down the sides as needed to make sure the mixture is well blended.
• Add the applesauce, and use a low speed as you slowly pour in the water. Mix until the batter is smooth and transfer it to a prepared pan.
• Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 28–30 minutes and let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting.

Recipe Tips and Variations

• Start with room-temperature ingredients for even baking and better blending. Take out the egg, butter, and cream cheese at the same time to soften.
• Spray your pan! Don’t skip this step; otherwise, your cake might stick to the pan.
• To test your cake for readiness, insert a toothpick into the center of it. If it comes out clean, it’s ready to come out of the oven.
• To thin out the frosting, add a splash of cream or milk.
• Swap the spiced cream cheese frosting for a classic plain cream cheese frosting or cinnamon cream cheese frosting instead.
• Turn it into a layer cake with a filling of my buttercream frosting recipe. You can try a 3-layer cake using a 9-inch cake pan or a 2-layer cake using a 9-inch springform pan or 11×7 rectangle pan.