Gingerbread Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This classic gingerbread recipe is moist, sweet and perfectly spiced. It's the best gingerbread and a delicious holiday dessert.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Cooling1

Total Time1 55

Course: bread, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Servings

Author: Laura

Cost: $8

Equipment

Ingredients

½ cup salted butter softened
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup molasses (unsulphured or light- not blackstrap)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup whole milk (room temperature)
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a 9x9” pan with parchment paper and grease well. Set aside.
Combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda and sea salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Beat the butter and brown sugar until light (about 1 minute) either in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer.
Then, add the molasses and eggs and beat until combined.
Beat in milk and vanilla on low speed.
Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir on low speed,
Evenly spread the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the gingerbread comes out clean or with a few crumbs and the cake is no longer “jiggly.”
Place the gingerbread in the pan on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
Once cool, lift the gingerbread out of the pans and remove the parchment paper. Let cool completely on the wire cooling rack.
Once cool, dust with powdered sugar and serve with homemade whipped cream.

Video

Notes

*Ty not to disturb the gingerbread in the oven or it could sink after baking. Make sure it is fully baked.

Ingredient Substitution Notes

Salted Butter. Unsalted butter and vegan butter are good substitutes.
Light brown sugar. dark brown sugar works great in this recipe.
Molasses. use unsulphured or light molasses- not blackstrap molasses. Please trust me.
Spices (ginger, cinnamon cloves, & nutmeg). The quality and freshness of the spices you use will matter in the final outcome of these soft gingerbread cookies. I believe I have worked out the perfect ratio of sweet and spicy, but you can adjust them to your liking if necessary.
Sea Salt. I only ever bake with pure, fine sea salt. If you are using iodized salt I recommend decreasing the amount of salt by half.
Whole milk. For the glaze you can use 2% milk, half and half or heavy cream instead of whole milk.

Store/Freeze

Store leftover gingerbread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, or you could carefully warm it in the microwave or oven set to "warm."

Nutrition