Lightened Up Gingerbread Cake Recipes

OLD FASHIONED GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• Grease and flour an 8"x 8" square pan (or line the pan with parchment paper.) *
• Sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Add the butter, molasses and egg and beat for two minutes or 300 strokes by hand. (This is a very old recipe...)
• Add the boiling water.
• Beat for another two minutes and turn into prepared pan.
• Bake 50-55 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

LIGHTER GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Put the dates in a small bowl and pour over 125ml of boiling water. Leave to cool for 30 mins. Lightly oil a 28 x 19 x 3cm traybake tin, then line the base with baking parchment.
• Meanwhile, put the oil, black treacle, maple syrup and freshly grated ginger in a bowl and beat together with a fork to mix well. Set aside. Beat the egg in a small bowl and stir in the buttermilk. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, cinnamon and sugar - rub the mixture between your fingers to break down any lumpy bits of sugar. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Blend the dates and their liquid to a thick purée in a small food processor. Pour the egg, the dates and the treacle mixture into the bowl with the flour. Stir together briefly with a wooden spoon just until well mixed - the mixture will be soft like a thick batter. Pour it into the lined tin, gently level the mixture and bake for 40-45 mins. To test if it's done, insert a skewer in the centre - if the skewer comes out clean with no uncooked mixture on it, and the cake feels firm but springy to the touch, it should be done.
• Leave in the tin for a few mins before removing to a wire rack, peeling off the parchment and leaving to cool completely. If you can wait, wrap it well in parchment, then foil. Leave for a day before cutting, as it will become stickier - it will keep moist for 3-4 days.

GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom with parchment paper; spray paper. Whisk flour and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Place butter in a large bowl. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over; whisk until melted. Whisk in sugar and next 3 ingredients. Add dry ingredients; whisk to blend. Transfer to prepared pan.
• Bake until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack; let cool. Remove parchment.
• For topping:
• Beat cream and sugar in a medium bowl until firm peaks form. Fold in curd, leaving swirls. Spread over cake. Garnish with zest.

GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH LEMON GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch square baking pan.
• Whisk flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and Chinese five-spice powder in a bowl.
• Stir sugar, molasses, oil, and egg into flour mixture until just combined.
• Pour in boiling water and whisk until the batter is smooth and shiny, about 1 minute.
• Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Tap pan gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
• Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl until sugar dissolves.
• Pour lemon juice mixture over cake while cake is still hot. Spread the mixture around with a spatula to ensure even distribution. Let cake cool completely before serving.

LIGHT GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl cream together the butter, molasses, brown sugar and cinnamon until light.
• Dissolve the baking soda in 1 Cup of boiling water. Add to creamed butter mixture.
• Add flour and eggs.
• Pour batter into a greased and floured 9" round baking pan and bake at 325F for 30-35 minutes.

OLD-FASHIONED GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with cooking spray as well, and then set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine the butter and milk. Heat over medium-high, just until the butter is melted and bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
• Stir the egg into the cooled butter mixture.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the butter mixture. Stir just until a smooth batter forms, being careful not to over-mix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
• Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

LIGHTENED UP GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, molasses, and egg.
• In a glass measuring cup measure 1/2 cup hot water (or heat up cool water in the microwave until hot but not boiling).
• Add the baking soda to the hot water, stir.
• Add the soda and water mixture to the bowl of ingredients. Stir until mixed.
• Pour batter into a lightly greased 9X9" baking dish.
• Bake at 350F for 30 - 35 minutes.

GLAZED GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-in. fluted tube pan. Place raisins in a small bowl; add boiling water to cover and let stand 5 minutes. Drain., In a large bowl, whisk molasses, brown sugar, oil, coffee, orange juice and water until blended. In a small bowl, beat eggs on high speed 3-4 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. In another bowl, whisk remaining cake ingredients. Add to molasses mixture alternately with eggs, mixing just until combined. Fold in raisins. , Transfer to prepared pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake). Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. , In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Pour over cake.

UPSIDE DOWN PEAR GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a bowl, lightly mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt until thoroughly combined.
• Place 1/4 cup of butter into a 10-inch springform pan, put it in the oven, and allow to melt for a minute or two. Sprinkle the melted butter evenly with brown sugar. Pat the pear halves dry with paper towels, and cut each half into 3 slices lengthwise. Arrange the pear slices in a spiral pattern on top of the brown sugar. Without disturbing the arranged slices, spray the inside walls of the pan with cooking spray.
• Beat the white sugar and 1/2 cup of butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until creamy; beat in the egg, then mix in the molasses. Mix the flour mixture into the molasses mixture, then stir in the hot water. Pour the batter into the springform pan on top of the pear slices.
• Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Allow to cool completely in the pan before inverting on a serving dish and removing pan.