Gingerbread Cake with Orange Glaze

Ingredients

• 0.25 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger (Use 3 tsp for strongly flavored gingerbread or 2 tsp for a milder version.)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp ground cloves (Optional. Omit for a lighter, milder cake.)
• 0.6667 cup oil (Plus 2 tbsp.)
• 0.5 cup brown sugar
• 0.25 cup blackstrap molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1 orange zest (Divided; use three-quarters in the batter and reserve the remainder for the glaze.)
• 0.5 cup boiling water
• 0.5 cup powdered sugar (For the orange glaze.)
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice (For the orange glaze.)
• 2 tsp heavy cream (For the orange glaze.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch pan with baking parchment.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. For strongly flavored, European-style gingerbread, use the full amount of ginger and include the cloves; for a lighter version, use 2 teaspoons of ginger and omit the cloves.

3. 3

   In another bowl or a large jug, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, and three-quarters of the orange zest.

4. 4

   Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a thick batter forms.

5. 5

   Whisk in the boiling water until the batter is smooth and glossy.

6. 6

   Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Drop the pan onto the countertop a few times to knock out air bubbles.

7. 7

   Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a wooden skewer or the tip of a sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If wet batter clings to it, bake for a few minutes longer and check again.

8. 8

   Once the pan is cool enough to touch, remove the cake and leave it to cool on a wire rack.

9. 9

   To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and orange juice together until smooth.

10. 10

    Stir in the heavy cream and the reserved orange zest.

11. 11

    Pour the glaze over the cake once it is completely cool.

Notes

To make the cake in a 2-pound loaf pan, halve the recipe and increase the baking time by 5–10 minutes. The structured data lists a 40-minute cook time, while the specific baking instruction gives 30–35 minutes; begin checking at 30 minutes.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cake
• baked
• holiday
• Christmas
• spiced
• vegetarian