Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Sour Cream Gingerbread Cake
Perfectly spiced and delicious this Gingerbread Cake has no need for frosting! Sour cream gives that cake a touch of tang and keeps it soft and tender.
Here’s a baking tip: If you’re having trouble with a homemade cake recipe baking dry, add a dollop of sour cream. It gives just a hint of flavor and makes the cake extra moist and tender.
And that’s just what we’ve added to this easy gingerbread cake. It’s perfect for Christmas and the holiday season, but honestly, is comforting any time of the year.
What’s to love about gingerbread cake:
- Sweetened with brown sugar and molasses for a deep rich flavor
- Seasoned with cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Can you taste Christmas yet?
- Makes a small snack cake.
- No frosting needed.
- Ready to eat in under an hour.
Gingerbread Cake Ingredients:
- Butter: I used salted butter. If using unsalted butter, feel free to add in an additional pinch of salt to your batter.
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs. Large eggs are standard.
- Sour cream: you can substitute the sour cream with Greek yogurt if needed
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Spices: I used cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. The perfect holiday spice mix.
- Molasses: I used unsulfured molasses in this gingerbread cake recipe. See notes below the recipe for details on the different types of molasses.
Tips on making this cake:
You’ll need three bowls to make this cake. Yes…I know, that’s a lot of dishes. But this is what makes the cake easy to mix and have a great texture.
One note is to mix the hot water and molasses together. This will thin the molasses and make it easier to mix in.
Once you have the ingredients combined, be careful not to overmix or the cake will be tough.
Gingerbread Cake Recipe
Perfectly spiced and delicious this Gingerbread Cake has no need for frosting! Sour cream gives that cake a touch of tang and keeps it soft and tender.
Servings 9
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (lightly packed)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup molasses
- 1 cup hot water
- Whipped topping optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl add in flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
- In another bowl whisk together molasses and very hot water until completely incorporated.
- Mix half of the dry ingredients into the batter, alternating with half of the molasses, mixing after each addition until all the ingredients are incorporated together. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into a greased or parchment lined 8×8 inch pan.
- Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when touched.
- Garnish with whipped topping or ice cream.
Notes
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 9 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 3mg
Can I use a different type of molasses?
The type of molasses will affect the overall taste of your gingerbread cake. Depending on how much of a fan you are of the molasses flavor should affect what type of molasses make your taste buds sing.
- Unsulfured molasses: this is the sweetest type of molasses and has the mildest molasses flavor.
- Sulfured molasses: This type of molasses has a stronger mineral flavor with less sweetness than unsulfured molasses.
- Blackstrap molasses: Blackstrap molasses as a licorice-like flavor with no sweetness and the strongest flavor of molasses. This is for the hardcore fans of molasses.
How do I store gingerbread?
You can store gingerbread at room temperature for up to 1 week. Make sure to seal your gingerbread in an airtight container. You can also freeze your gingerbread for up to 3-6 months.
