Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 cup unsulphured molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ¾ tsp nutmeg
  • ¾ tsp cloves
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1½ cups heavy whipping cream (very cold)
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 350* F. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper, or spray with baking spray, and set aside.
  • In a small bowl combine the cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Stir to make a spice blend. Remove 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture and set aside to use as a garnish sprinkle for the cake pieces when serving.
  • In a medium mixing bowl combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and the spice blend (not the 1 teaspoon reserved). Whisk together to completely incorporate all the spices evenly into the flour. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, using a hand held mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and mix for another 30 seconds until the egg is completely incorporated.
  • Add the molasses and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture and mix to combine well.
  • Slowly add the flour mixture to butter and combine, on low speed, just until all the flour has been evenly incorporated.
  • While your mixer is on low, slowly pour the boiling water into the batter. Mix just until all the water is incorporated. Do not overmix. You can use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure that all the batter is evenly mixed.
  • Carefully pour your batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow your cake to cool completely, on the counter, prior to slicing and garnishing with the whipped cream topping.
  • While your cake is cooling you can make your whipped cream topping by adding your very cold heavy whipping cream to a large bowl and mixing on low speed, with a handheld mixer, for 1 minute.
  • Add the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to whip, on high speed, for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  • You can transfer your whipped cream to a piping bag, or a zip top plastic bag with the corner snipped, and pipe a pretty swirl to the top of each piece of your gingerbread cake.
  • You can use a pinch of that 1 teaspoon of spice blend you reserved to sprinkle lightly on top of the whipped cream and onto the top of your piece of gingerbread cake.