Spiced Gingerbread Bundt Cake

There are few smells more inviting than that of warm gingerbread!  This spiced gingerbread bundt cake is a delicious and easy way to welcome the Christmas season to your home.  This is one dessert that our family looks forward to enjoying during December.

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Questions

Is gingerbread a cake?

Yes, gingerbread can be a cake or a cookie.  In colonial America, gingerbread actually referred to a cake.  My recipe is based on Martha Washington's gingerbread recipe from the 1700s.

What is in gingerbread cake?

• Flour.  I used all-purpose flour for this recipe.
• Rising Agent.  Since this recipe contains the acidic ingredients of molasses and brown sugar, we use baking soda to leaven this dessert.
• Butter.  Real butter has a better flavor than margarine.
• Sweetener.  Light brown sugar and molasses add a rich, caramel-like flavor.
• Spices.  I use ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace to create a nice gingerbread flavor.  Hints of orange zest also deepen the flavor.
• Eggs. Eggs add structure and stability, along with richness.
• Liquids. Warm buttermilk ensures a good rise and moist texture, while the coffee and orange juice add more flavor.

How to Make Homemade Gingerbread Cake Mix

You can mix up your very own homemade cake mix for this gingerbread bundt.  Just whisk together all the dry ingredients until they're smooth and well combined, then seal it in a zip-top bag or airtight container and store for up to 3 months.  Then, make as the recipe dictates.

What frosting goes with this dessert?

This bundt technically doesn't need a glaze or frosting, since it tastes great with just a dusting of icing sugar.  If you want to try it with an icing, cream cheese frosting would be a good choice.

What do you serve with it?

One of the best things to enjoy with this dessert is a hot cup of coffee.  However, you could also have it with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream or even brandy butter.

How long will it keep?

This dessert will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.  If you want to store it longer, I'd recommend freezing it.

Can gingerbread cake be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze it.  Slice and seal it in a plastic zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.  Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave.

How to Make

Gather the ingredients.  You'll need all-purpose flour, butter, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, coffee, orange juice, orange zest, buttermilk, baking soda, and spices.

Lightly spray a 10-cup bundt pan with a baking spray such as Baker's Joy.  This particular brand of spray contains flour, which helps release the cake from the pan.

Sift the flour and spices into a bowl, then whisk until mixed.

Cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add in the molasses.

Add the eggs one at a time, putting in 2 tablespoons of flour with each egg to prevent the batter from curdling.

Add the buttermilk, coffee, orange juice and zest, and the rest of the flour mixture and blend on medium-low speed until combined.  Scrape down the sides and mix again on low speed to ensure a good mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the deepest part comes out with a couple moist crumbs attached.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack.

Let it cool for 30 minutes on the wire rack, then dust with powdered sugar, slice, and serve.

Pro Tips

• Use a kitchen scale to quickly and accurately measure the ingredients.  A scale also saves you from dirtying more measuring cups!
• Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.  This will produce a smoother, better textured dessert.
• Need to warm up the ingredients quickly?  Submerge the eggs in hot tap water for 10 minutes.  Cube the butter and microwave it in 5-second intervals until softened.
• Grease the bundt pan with a baking spray, such as Baker's Joy.  It's faster and ensures an easy removal.
• Be careful not to overbake, or it will be dry.  A skewer poked into the deepest part should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
• Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan.  Don't wait too long, or it will stick.

Recommended Tools

• Set of 4 Strainers: these stainless steel strainers make sifting ingredients easy.
• Baker's Joy: this non-stick baking spray makes it quick to prep your bundt pan.
• Nordicware Bundt Pan: this beautiful pan adds a European flair to your cakes.
• Cooling Racks: these racks keep your cakes from getting soggy as they cool.

Other Christmas Baking Recipes

• Cardamom Snaps
• Mexican Wedding Cookies
• Gingerbread Cookie Ornaments
• Butter Tarts
• Nanaimo Bars

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Recipe

Spiced Gingerbread Bundt Cake

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5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 16 slices 1x

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Description

Spiced gingerbread bundt cake is an old fashioned Christmas dessert that’s moist and simple to decorate.  Make this easy recipe for your Christmas party, or give as a gift.  You’ll be coming back for a second slice of this holiday dessert!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons orange zest, from 1 large orange
• ¼ cup orange juice, from 1 large orange (60 ml)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground mace
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (115g)
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed (100g)
• 1 cup molasses (300g)
• ½ cup warm buttermilk (120 ml)
• ¼ cup black coffee, at room temperature (60 ml)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with Baker's Joy (a non-stick spray with flour in it), or grease and flour the pan thoroughly.
2. Sift in the flour and baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace into a large bowl.  Whisk until blended.
3. Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth.  Add the brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and lightened in color, about 2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl after 1 minute of mixing.
4. Pour in the molasses and beat until well mixed.  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.
5. Warm the buttermilk for 20 seconds in the microwave, stirring halfway through.  Put a wooden or glass utensil in the milk as you microwave it to break the surface tension, which will prevent explosions.
6. Add the buttermilk, coffee, orange juice, orange zest, 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.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the surface with a spatula.
8. Bake in the middle of the oven at 350 F for 45-50 minutes, until a metal skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
9. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
10. After it has cooled for half an hour, sift a light dusting of powdered sugar on top.  If you're using a cream cheese glaze instead, wait until it is completely cooled, about 2 hours.
11. Serve in slices, warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• Measure ingredients with a kitchen scale for quicker, more accurate measurements.
• Use room temperature ingredients.  Do this quickly by submerging the eggs in hot tap water for 10 minutes.  Cube the butter and microwave it in 5-second intervals until softened.
• Grease the pan with a baking spray such as Baker's Joy, or a simple lining paste to prevent sticking.
• Be careful not to overbake, or the cake will be dry.  A skewer poked into the deepest part of the cake should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
• Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before flipping it out of the tin.  Don't wait too long, or the cake will stick.

• Category: Cake
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: Christmas gingerbread cake, gingerbread bundt cake

This recipe was originally published on November 1, 2017.

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