Gingerbread Bundt Cake
This gingerbread bundt cake is fragrant and deeply spiced, with all the warmth of gingerbread cookies in tender cake form.
There are few things I crave more in December than cozy foods and places. Warm, twinkling lights sparkle throughout my home during the long nights of this season. The fluffy blanket is draped over the reading chair, waiting for a kid to plop down with a good book. December always leaves me feeling tired, the deep in my bones exhaustion that comes from trying to be too many things, wondering if I’ve done enough for the people and issues I care about. I do what I can to keep the darkness away and find joy in reliable places, like baking.
The first time I made this gingerbread bundt cake was for a Richmond Bakers Against Racism bake sale last year. I was never a fan of gingerbread, but the way the scent of those warm spices filled the air as this cake baked convinced me otherwise. I made it again recently, for dinner with friends, and I loved it so much that I’ll probably make it one more time before the year ends.
We have very low-key Christmas celebrations here. Eggnog waffles for Christmas morning breakfast are a must, and we make snowflake bread when we get our first snow. I’m thinking this gingerbread cake, with all its cozy vibes, needs to find a permanent spot in our December traditions.
Bundt cakes look lovely when they’re draped in a glaze, but I went the simple route with this one. A dusting of powdered sugar and a hefty dose of freshly grated nutmeg gave this cake a snowy look. Feel free to top it as you wish.
Here’s to finding and creating light and joy where we can, this season and always.
- COOK TIME:
- YIELD: 1 cake
2½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons ginger
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups (319g) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup (170g) molasses
1 cup (227g) water
Confectioners’ sugar and freshly grated nutmeg, for topping
You may need to adjust your cooking time based on the pan you use. My Nordic Ware Heritage pan tends to bake a little faster. Baking this for 55 minutes yielded slightly crisp corners of the cake, however it was evenly moist after sitting overnight.
- 1
Heat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 10-12 cup bundt-style pan. I prefer cooking sprays with flour for bundt pans, especially ones with intricate details.
- 2
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- 3
In another large bowl, use a stand mixer or handheld mixer to beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the molasses.
Add the flour mixture in three additions alternately with the water, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just until smooth.
- 4
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and carefully transfer to the oven. Bake the cake for 55-65* minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
(*Time may vary based on the style of your pan.)
- 5
When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and leave it to cool it in the pan for 10 minutes. Then carefully turn it out onto a rack to cool completely.
- 6
Dust with confectioners’ sugar and freshly grated nutmeg, or drizzle with glaze of your choice.
