Gingerbread

star rating (71) rate this recipe »
KAF guaranteed, whole grain, quick-n-easy
Recipe photo
Hands-on time:
Baking time:
Total time:
Yield: 1 9" square cake, 16 servings
Recipe photo

This recipe has a unique attribute: tasters can't tell the difference between the white flour and whole wheat flour versions. If you've been looking for a whole-grain recipe that's sure to please the … More »

Gingerbread

star rating (71) rate this recipe »
KAF guaranteed, whole grain, quick-n-easy
Hands-on time:
Baking time:
Total time:
Yield: 1 9" square cake, 16 servings
Published: 01/01/2010

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups King Arthur white whole wheat flour, or 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon each cloves and nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup diced crystallized ginger (optional)

Tips from our bakers

  • If you like spicy gingerbread, feel free to add up to 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper to the dry ingredients in this recipe.
  • You can use grated fresh ginger (3 tablespoons) in place of dried ginger, for even more moistness and a fresh zing. Mix the grated ginger in with the butter and molasses before adding it to the recipe.
  • For apricot gingerbread, stir in 1 cup diced apricots with the crystallized ginger; bake as directed.

Directions

see this recipe's blog »

1) Grease and flour a 9" square pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

3) Melt the butter in a heatproof measuring cup. Add the molasses to the cup, and pour into the dry ingredients in the bowl, mixing to moisten.

4) Add the water, stirring until everything is moistened. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Stir into the batter until it's evenly combined. Stir in the crystallized ginger.

5) Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake just begins to pull away from the edge of the pan.

6) Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes before slicing; gingerbread is best served warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Nutrition information

Serving Size: 1 piece (63g) Servings Per Batch: 16 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 170 Calories from Fat: 60 Total Fat: 7g Saturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0g. Cholesterol: 30mg Sodium: 180mg Total Carbohydrate: 26g Dietary Fiber: 0g Sugars: 12g Protein: 3g.

* The nutrition information provided for this recipe is determined by the ESHA Genesis R&D software program. Substituting any ingredients may change the posted nutrition information.

Reviews

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  • star rating 02/19/2012
  • BigLou80 from KAF Community
  • It's to bad there is not a 2.5 star rating. I ended up with a wonderfully baked cake the texture, crumb and moisture level are perfect. However mine lacked ginger flavor and was over powered by the molasses. I will make some adjustments and hope for better results next time
  • star rating 01/22/2012
  • Baby from Boston
  • Easy to make. Pepper and fresh ginger are great
  • star rating 01/17/2012
  • vermontgirl from KAF Community
  • YUM. Used whole milk and omitted the crystallized ginger. By the end, mixed/whipped everything until the batter was nice and smooth before pouring it into the pan. This was a lovely, spongy, spicy cake. Ate it plain, which was great, but I think this would be elevated by some cinnamon whipped cream.
  • star rating 12/28/2011
  • Deborah from Garland, TX
  • GREAT recipe, a real keeper. I doubled the dry ginger and substituted nonfat yogurt for the buttermilk to cut at least a few calories. It turned out great, and the family loved it.
  • star rating 12/23/2011
  • jollyacres from KAF Community
  • This was the best gingerbread I've ever had! It was fragrant and moist with just enough texture. We didn't have the crystallized ginger so just omitted that ingredient. It was so good without it that I can't imagine how it can be better! The assembly was really simple. My budding 12 year old chef did almost all of the work to put this together. Can't decide whether it was better warm out of the oven or cool the next day.
  • star rating 12/15/2011
  • thefiverogers from KAF Community
  • Followed recipe exactly using the white whole wheat flour and baked 35 minutes. At 30 minutes it was still gooey in center but at 35 minutes it was just beginning to pull from sides of pan so I pulled it out of oven. The gingerbread came out somewhat heavy and moist. This is reminiscent of the gingerbread I remember from visits to England. Is this how this recipe is expected to turn out? My family likes Gingerbread Cake with a lighter texture, more cake like. Is there a KA recipe you would recommend?
    This recipe does not call for a mixing method that would aerate the batter enough for it to yield a light cake texture. I suggest beating the batter after the eggs are added for a few minutes to add air rather than just stirring until combined. I hope this helps. ~Amy
  • star rating 12/02/2011
  • Lana from Brooklyn, NY
  • If I wanted to use a mini loaf pan with the following dimensions 7" x 4" x 2 1/2" tall, how many loaves would this recipe yield? Also, would the bake time change? Thanks in advance for your help!
    The Bake and Give Wooden Bakers we have measure 7 X 4 X 2 1/2. They have a bakeable capacity of 2 to 3 cups - batter should fill the pan about 2/3 full. You'd use the same baking temperature as your recipe suggests (350") for 50 - 70 minutes. Happy Baking! Irene @ KAF
  • star rating 11/28/2011
  • jall221 from KAF Community
  • Wonderful recipe!! So moist and delicious. Even my son who "doesn't like" gingerbread, loved it. It lasted an afternoon. I will be making this many more times over the holidays.
  • star rating 11/14/2011
  • klincourt from KAF Community
  • Yummy!! I used the black pepper and fresh grated ginger (and left out the crystalized ginger). It was delicious. I agree with Muzcigirl that it's probably more like 8 servings unless you have an iron will. ;) So make extra if you need to feed sixteen. :)
  • star rating 11/06/2011
  • Velvetmonkey from KAF Community
  • I never made gingerbread before but you can bet I will make it again. This recipe was easy and produced a moist, spicy cake. My husband said this is better then what his Mom used to make!
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