This Easy Moist Ginger Cake is the perfect dessert for Christmas. It has a soft and fluffy texture and a rich and sweet flavor. Plus it is filled with sweet, warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Serve this festive dessert plain, or with ice cream and caramel sauce.
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Nothing says Christmas like a moist and spicy ginger cake. This easy recipe will make your house smell amazing and your taste buds happy. You only need a few ingredients and a baking pan to whip up this festive dessert. It has a soft and fluffy texture and a rich and sweet flavor. You can enjoy it plain or top it with some ice cream and caramel for an extra treat. This sticky ginger cake is sure to please everyone at your Christmas table.
This date cake with pecans is a delicious twist on the classic ginger cake. It’s moist, rich, and full of flavor. Whether you need a dessert for a cozy night or a festive celebration, this cake will hit the spot. And for more holiday inspiration, check out these incredible Christmas desserts.
This year, I'm excited to take part in Eat the Culture’s 2023 Holiday Recipe Exchange: Party Pairings for All the Holidays! Holidays often revolve around communal moments – sharing stories, laughter, and, of course, food. This year's roundup is all about those delightful 'lite bites' and drinks that set the tone for festive gatherings. I had the pleasure of partnering with [blogger’s name] who crafted a delicious . This [dish/cocktail] pairs perfectly with my . Learn more about Eat the Culture and find a complete list of recipes from all participants here.
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What I Love About this Recipe
- The cake is a rich, warming, and comforting crowd-pleaser.
- It has a soft, moist texture that pairs perfectly with caramel sauce and ice cream.
- This recipe can be doubled or tripled to feed a larger crowd.
- The ingredients are budget-friendly and easy to find.
Ingredients
- Self-raising flour: Sift the flour before mixing to ensure the cake has a fluffy texture. Do not use plain flour as it has no leavening agents and may affect the cake's texture.
- Bicarbonate soda: This helps the cake to rise. Make sure the baking soda has not expired to get the best results.
- Ground ginger: Use good-quality ginger to give the cake a delicious rich ginger flavor.
- Ground nutmeg: Adds warm, nutty, sweet notes to the cake. You can also grate a whole nutmeg if you don't have ground nutmeg to hand.
- Ground cinnamon: Use ground cinnamon to add sweet, festive notes to the cake.
- Ground cloves: This pairs perfectly with the other sweet spices to give the ginger cake its notorious flavor.
- Butter: Use unsalted or salted butter for this recipe. If you use unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the batter to balance the sweetness.
- Black treacle: Use good-quality treacle to add sweetness, moisture and color to the cake.
- Golden syrup or honey: These ingredients add sweetness and moisture to the cake.
- Brown sugar: Gives the cake a distinct caramel-like flavor.
- Egg: Make sure the egg is at room temperature to ensure that the cake batter has the desirable consistency.
- Milk: Use full-fat milk for the best flavor.
Serving
- Caramel: Use shop-bought or homemade caramel sauce when serving.
- Ice cream: When serving, top the cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Tips and Substitutions
- Mixing: To make a soft and tender cake, avoid overmixing the batter. Just stir until everything is well combined—no more, no less.
- Measuring scale: For the best results, use a scale to measure the ingredients. This will ensure accuracy and consistency in your cake.
- Dry ingredients: Sifting the dry ingredients is a must. It will remove any lumps and help the batter bake evenly and smoothly.
Recipe Variations
Stem ginger is young ginger that is peeled and preserved in sugar syrup. Some people like to add this to ginger cakes to intensify the ginger flavor.
Also, if you are not a fan of caramel sauce or ice cream, then you can top the cake with quick cream cheese frosting instead.
How to Make Ginger Cake
- First, preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/320°F/Gas 4. Line a 23 x 30cm (9 x 12in) square baking tray with some baking paper. Then, grease it lightly with some butter or oil.
2. Next, grab a medium-sized bowl and sift in some flour, bicarbonate soda, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon and ground cloves. Give it a good mix until everything is well combined. Set the bowl aside for now.
3. Then, take a saucepan and add some butter, black treacle, golden syrup and brown sugar. Put the saucepan over low heat and stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. You should have a smooth and glossy mixture.
4. Now, pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Crack an egg and whisk it well. Then, slowly add some milk and keep stirring until you have a smooth batter. It should be thick but pourable.
5. Then, carefully pour the batter into the prepared baking tray and spread it evenly. Pop it in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Once the cake is ready, let it cool slightly in the tray for 5 minutes. Then cut it into equal squares and serve.
7. To make it even more delicious, drizzle caramel sauce over it and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and serve with this Homemade Gingerbread Latte Recipe. You can also add this Red Velvet Christmas Cookies, Festive Christmas Bark, Easy Christmas Chocolate Fudge and Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats to your dessert menu.
FAQs
Gingerbread and ginger cake are similar desserts however, gingerbread is made with molasses while ginger cake includes treacle and ginger.
This cake can be made in various ways however, most recipes include flour, ground or stem ginger, warm spices like nutmeg, butter or oil, sugar, eggs, treacle, milk and honey or golden syrup.
This can happen for different reasons, depending on how you prepare and bake your cake. For example, if you measure the ingredients incorrectly, you may end up with too much or too little of something that affects the cake’s structure. If you mix the batter poorly, air bubbles will be created and they will burst as the cake bakes and cause it to collapse. If you do not preheat the oven or use the wrong temperature, you may interfere with the cake’s rising and setting process. Also, not baking the cake for long enough, may result in an undercooked and soggy center. Make sure you follow the recipe instructions carefully and use the right tools and techniques to make a perfect cake.
Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Let the cake cool completely then wrap it in plastic and freeze for up to one month. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator overnight and let the cake come to room temperature or reheat in the microwave or oven before serving.
More Delicious Christmas Recipes
Easy Moist Ginger Cake
Equipment
- (9 x 9) square baking tray or 8"
- mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring scale
Ingredients
- 225 g of self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda
- 2 tablespoon of ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
- 100 g of butter
- 100 g of black treacle
- 100 g of golden syrup or honey
- 80 g of brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 250 ml of milk
For Serving (optional)
- Caramel sauce shop bought or homemade
- Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/320F/Gas 4. Line and grease 23 x 30cm (9 x 12in) square baking tray.
- Start by sifting flour, bicarbonate soda, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon and ground cloves into a medium-sized bowl. Mix until evenly combined and set aside.
- Next, add butter, black treacle, golden syrup and brown sugar to a saucepan. Heat the ingredients on low and mix until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the egg and whisk well. Gradually stir in the milk until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into a greased and lined baking tray. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the tray for 5 minutes. Then cut it into equal squares and serve. Drizzle some caramel sauce and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for extra indulgence.
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