Holiday Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread is one of the best holiday flavors and scents, step outside the traditional gingerbread cookie box and try the best holiday gingerbread pound cake. Bonus points: it doubles as a delicious holiday gift.

[This recipe was originally posted in December 2017. It has been updated with new photos, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, video and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

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How will this gingerbread cake recipe make your life better?

This cake recipe is pretty simple and can be done with a hand mixer. It's packed with gingerbread flavor and is dense and moist.

Double the recipe and freeze some OR make extra loafs to give as special holiday gifts!

Or make the homemade gingerbread spice mix in this cake, chocolate dipped oreos or 3 ingredient homemade hot cocoa to give away as holiday gifts.

What makes this gingerbread cake so good?

• Dark brown sugar
• Butter
• Eggs
• Molasses
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Whole wheat flour
• All purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Gingerbread spice mix

How do I make this gingerbread cake?

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream 2 sticks room temperature butter and ¾ c dark brown sugar in large glass bowl for about 3 minutes using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer.

Expert Tip: Leave butter and eggs out at room temperature for at least an hour (or more if butter was in the freezer). Cake texture will be better with room temperature butter instead of cold or melted butter.

Expert Tip: Butter and sugar will be creamed when sugar granules are small and mixture is creamy and lighter in color than the brown sugar.

Crack one egg into butter/sugar mixture. Beat until well combined, then add next egg. Repeat until all 4 eggs are combined into mixture.

Expert Tip: Mixture may be a bit chunky, that's fine. 

Add ¼ c molasses, ¼ c plain Greek yogurt to mixture. Beat until incorporated.

Mix dry ingredients in separate medium sized bowl (½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and 2 T gingerbread spice mix). Slowly pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients, while continuing to mix. 

Expert Tip: Find the gingerbread spice mix recipe here (2 T ground ginger, 2 T ground cinnamon, 1 T ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground allspice)

Grease a loaf pan, pour cake batter into loaf pan, then tap pan against the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake for 50-60 minutes. 

When the timer rings, pull pan out of the oven and slide, and then remove a toothpick into the center of the cake.

If the toothpick is clean after removing it, the cake is done, if cake batter is on toothpick, return to oven and bake another couple minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean.

Expert Tip: Check with a toothpick every 3-5 minutes until it comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven and flip cake mold on top of a cooling rack. Slice cake when it's cooled and top with fresh whipped cream and orange zest.

Expert Tips

• DO AT LEAST AN HOUR EARLY: Leave butter and eggs out at room temperature for at least an hour (or more if butter was in the freezer). Cake texture will be better with room temperature instead of cold or melted butter.
• Find the gingerbread spice mix recipe here (2 T ground ginger, 2 T ground cinnamon, 1 T ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground allspice)    
• Butter and sugar will be creamed when sugar granules are small and mixture is creamy and lighter in color than the brown sugar.
• Check with a toothpick every 3-5 minutes until it comes out clean.

FAQ

What flavor is gingerbread?

I'd describe gingerbread as spiced ginger. Gingerbread can sometimes taste spicy because of the ginger; but the warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice add holiday flavors to it.

How do I make a moist cake?

Creaming the butter and sugar will help make a fluffy delicious cake, and the addition of Greek yogurt makes it extra moist!

What is the difference between a poundcake and regular cake?

A poundcake was traditionally called a poundcake because it had a pound of butter, sugar, eggs, & flour. This one doesn't but it's got a nice rich buttery flavor and is denser than traditional cakes.

How can I repurpose this gingerbread cake?

• Make bread pudding out of leftover cake
• Make french toast out of slices of the cake

What can I make with leftover ingredients?

Most ingredients in this cake are great pantry staples, so keep them around for the next time you bake something

• (Greek yogurt) Make Overnight Oats, PB Overnight Oats, or a Yogurt Bowl, or Frozen Greek Yogurt with Tart Cherry Sauce
• (eggs) Freezer Breakfast Tacos, Egg & Veggie Roll-Up, or Apple & Sharp Cheddar Omelet

Did you make this gingerbread cake recipe? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!