Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Discover the magic of simplicity with this Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake Recipe, served warm with a rich Brown Sugar Caramel Glaze. A vintage comfort food that fills your soul with the smells and memories of grandmother’s warm kitchen. It’s not just a cake, it’s a journey back in time. Don’t miss the caramel glaze, it makes all the difference!

This rich old fashioned gingerbread cake is comfort food from times past.    It fills my soul with smells and memories of Grandmother’s warm kitchen.    It brings images of dusted flour countertops and all the smells of gingerbread from my childhood.    We are hoping this gingerbread cake will delight you and your family as it does ours.   And it absolutely must be served with the warm caramel glaze!  You sure do not wish to skip that, I promise you. 

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This recipe is not mine, it is from a young lady that I have just recently discovered, Jill Winger.   She impressed me the moment I heard her speak.   Jill lives on a 67-acre prairie homestead with her husband and three adorable children.   Her hubby and she have made the giant leap to “leave the herd and grow their homestead dreams”.   I am sharing her great recipe from her “The Prairie Homestead Cookbook”  with her permission.

How to Make an Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake:

This cake recipe has all the smells and tastes of homemade gingerbread but since it’s baked in a 9-inch square pan, it’s so much easier.   

Ingredients for old fashioned gingerbread cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed) preferable organic whole cane sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup hot water 100 degrees F
• 1/4 cup molasses

Start your gingerbread cake by greasing a 9-inch square cake pan and preheating oven to 350 degrees F.     Then in a large bowl, add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt then blend well.   

In another mixing bowl add melted butter, sugar, and eggs and whip.    Then add in the hot water and molasses and continue to whip until very well combined. 

Pour the molasses mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined.  

Spread into your prepared 9-inch square pan and place in your preheated oven for 40 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.   

Remove the old fashioned gingerbread cake from the oven and place on a rack to cool slightly.   Then cut and serve with the caramel glaze below. 

How to Make Caramel Glaze:

Ingredients needed:

• 1/2 cup of Brown Sugar, (packed) preferably organic whole cane sugar
• 1 Tbsp Organic Corn Starch
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract 

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and serve by drizzling over the cake while still warm. 

If the Caramel Glaze is not served immediately it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.  And to reheat, warm in a small saucepan over medium heat until heated through. 

Drizzle the brown sugar caramel glaze over the still-warm gingerbread cake and serve it immediately.  This Gingerbread Cake with caramel glaze is something we know you will serve over and over again as we did.  

And one bite of this decadent, Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake, and you’re instantly transported to a time of flour dusted countertops and Grandma’s warm kitchen.   Our beloved, rich brown sugar caramel glaze is not overly sweet it just amazing. 

Other Old Fashioned Recipes:

• Peppermint Christmas Candy Cane Chewy Cookies
• Spiked Bailey’s Fudge
• Old Fashioned Appalachian Apple Stack Cake

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5 from 8 votes

Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake with Caramel Glaze

Make this  Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake Recipe with a Rich Brown Sugar Caramel Glaze.  This is a vintage cake that is served warm topped with homemade brown sugar caramel glaze.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Caramel Glaze, Gingerbread Cake, Old Fashioned Caramel Glaze, Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

Servings: 9

Calories: 378kcal

Author: Evelyn Osborn

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed) preferably organic whole cane sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup hot water 100 degrees F
• 1/4 cup molasses

For the Glaze

• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed) . preferably organic whole cane sugar
• 1 tbsp Organic Corn Starch
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square pan
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and, salt.
• In a separate bowl, mix the butter, sugar, and eggs until well combined, then whisk in the hot water and molasses.
• Add the molasses mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 40 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
• While the cake is cooking make the caramel glaze (below)
• Remove from oven and serve warm with the caramel glaze drizzled over the top.

For the Glaze

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch, then stir in 1/4 cup of water and whisk until smooth.
• Add the cream and butter and cook until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• Drizzle over the still-warm gingerbread cake and serve it immediately.

Notes

The Gingerbread will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

If the Caramel Glaze is not served immediately it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.  To reheat, warm in a small saucepan over medium heat until heated through.  

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 285mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 552IU | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg