This September, Hurricane Irma came through our area, and we evacuated to my great-aunt and uncle’s house in the Atlanta area. While we were visiting, Aunt Karen pulled out a few bundt pans that she no longer used, and asked me if I would like to have them. They were beautiful pans, and of course I said yes! ☺ I was so grateful for Aunt Karen’s generosity and kindness, and was thrilled to have these lovely pans for baking.
Ever since, I’ve been wanting to use my favorite one: a 10-cup, Bavarian-style pan. I loved the fancy lines and shapes of this pan! It’s the perfect way to get a fancy cake without a high-calorie icing or time-consuming decoration. The only trick? Just make sure to grease the pan well with butter, getting into all the grooves and corners to ensure an easy removal.
This spiced gingerbread cake is a family favorite because of its spiced flavor and festive aroma. It’s easier than making gingerbread cookies, and tastes just as good! Plus, it’s a lower-calorie dessert and can serve quite a few people. If you have any leftovers, freeze the slices in a Ziploc bag for later.
Ready for a slice of gingerbread? 🎄 Let’s get in the kitchen!
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Spiced Gingerbread Cake
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Prep Time: 1 hour -
Cook Time: 55 minutes
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Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
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Yield: 16 slices
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Pin RecipeDescription
Spiced gingerbread cake is an easy, festive bake for a Christmas party or get-together. Your family and friends will be impressed with this delicious cake!
Ingredients
For the Pan
- 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For the Cake
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (from 1 large orange)
- 4 tablespoons orange juice (from 1 large orange)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground mace
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup warm buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons strong coffee
- 3 large eggs
For the Decoration
- 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
Preparing the Pan
- Lightly grease a 10-cup bundt pan or a 9×13″ cake pan with softened butter, making sure to get in all the grooves and corners. Set aside.
Making the Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Zest and juice the orange.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour and add the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace. Whisk until well combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter until smooth, then add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Pour in the molasses and beat until well mixed, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Add the eggs one at a time, adding two tablespoons of the flour mixture with each egg to prevent the mixture from curdling. Beat until smooth.
- Warm the buttermilk briefly in the microwave. Put a wooden utensil in the milk as you microwave it to break the surface tension and to prevent explosions.
- Add the buttermilk, coffee, and the rest of the flour mixture to the batter and stir on a low speed until combined, then beat until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the surface.
Baking the Cake
- Bake in the middle of the oven at 350 F for 50-55 minutes, until a metal skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out the cake onto a serving plate.
Decorating the Cake
- Once the cake has cooled, sift a light dusting of powdered sugar on top of the cake.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- It’s important to grease the pan lightly and thoroughly to prevent sticking, especially if you’re using a bundt pan. There’s no need to flour the pan, though, as butter works just fine.
- This cake freezes really well! Make sure to slice it before freezing.
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