Although I’ve made gingerbread cookies a few times, I don’t think I had ever made gingerbread cake (though I do have a killer recipe for a ginger chocolate cake, but that will come some other day). But I thought it was the perfect cake to use this Christmas tree mold I got last year, and to have a little something to snack on while decorating the actual tree (I usually make cookies, but I had just finished a 6 dozen order so I was a little cookie saturated).

I had always made gingerbread with corn syrup, but this year I finally got my hands on molasses, so I was excited to try the real thing. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I didn’t like it at all :( The molasses flavor was really overpowering and it was just not good.

The recipe I’m posting now is a revised version, with less molasses and more spice. I’ve already tried it (on a fun recipe that will be coming soon!) and I’m happy to say that it’s so much better! Though if you’re into molasses, you can certainly stick to the all molasses version.

At first I was going to decorate the cake with some royal icing and sprinkles, to resemble an actual decorated tree. But at the end I decided to take the laid back route and just give it a sprinkle of powdered sugar. It still looks cute :)

Oh, and you’ll notice that this recipe makes a smallish cake, feel free to double it to make a loaf or a regular cake. Also, the procedure is kinda weird, but it works :P

Gingerbread cake

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

2 oz butter (1/4 cup)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp molasses
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp corn syrup
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour a round 8 inch cake pan; set aside. In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; mix thoroughly.
2. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until light. Beat in brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in molasses and corn syrup, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in the egg.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.