Gingerbread Snack Cake

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Gingerbread Snack Cake is a soft, fluffy cake with gingerbread spices, molasses, and coffee which gives it a nice depth of flavor then it’s finished off with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Whenever the holidays roll around I start thinking about peppermint, gingerbread, and cookies.   I usually start baking on November 1 and I don’t quit until Christmas Eve.

I’ve made a lot of different gingerbread desserts but I’m always looking for something new and different.  So when I saw this recipe for Ginger Squares I was intrigued.

I love gingerbread flavored desserts.  My Gingerbread Bars with Eggnog Frosting are perfect for the holiday season.  If you are looking for a holiday cookie then my Gingerbread Biscotti can’t be beat.  These Pumpkin Gingerbread Cupcakes are a more seasonal recipe that can be enjoyed in fall and winter.

By the name I expected them to be more like a cookie bar but once I took them out of the oven it was clear that this was more of a snack cake then it was a cookie bar.  I did change a few of the ingredients around so I changed the name as well.

Ingredients:

• all purpose flour
• whole wheat flour
• cinnamon
• baking soda
• salt
• milk
• molasses
• butter
• cold brew vanilla coffee
• sugar
• fresh ginger
• egg
• powdered sugar

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 pan with baking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine the all purpose flour and whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk until combined.
3. In a large bowl combine the milk, molasses, melted butter, coffee, sugar, ginger, and egg.
4. Pour the flour mixture into the milk mixture and whisk until blended.
5. Pour into the prepared bake and bake for 25 minutes-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

So this recipe has both whole wheat flour and all purpose flour in it.   Usually I would make it with just all purpose flour but I had just bought a bag of whole wheat flour so I used both.  I would definitely recommend using the whole wheat flour as it adds a nuttiness to the cake.

While some of these ingredients can be changed, added, or omitted the most important ingredients are the molasses and the ginger.  These are what really give the cake it’s gingerbread flavor.

I can’t find cold brew coffee.  Can I use something else?

The original recipe actually called for an oatmeal stout beer so that is an option.  Another option would be just plain coffee.  If you don’t want that either then just a 1/4 cup of milk would be a good substitute.

I don’t have any fresh ginger, can I use ground ginger instead?

You can certainly use ground ginger, just use 1 1/2 teaspoons instead of the 2 Tablespoons you would use of the fresh.  You can also use 2 Tablespoons of crystalized ginger that is minced or 1 Tablespoon of ginger paste.

Why do you use two types of flour?   Can I just use one?

If you only have all purpose flour or whole wheat flour you can use one or the other.   I like using both because I find the whole wheat flour to take over if I just use it but I do like to put in some to give it a bit of nuttiness.

What are some ideas for topping this cake?

My favorite thing to top this cake with is caramel sauce.  You can also put on a dollop of whipped cream with a sprinkle of cinnamon.   The dusting of powdered sugar works on top too.

Once the cake come out of the oven I was so excited to give it a try.  It smelled sweet and spicy and it looked amazing.   I sprinkled the top with powdered sugar and it looked perfect for the holidays.

While you can enjoy the cake as is, I chose to drizzle the top with caramel sauce.   I find that caramel goes great with gingerbread and that was the case with this cake.

The sweetness of the caramel paired well with the spiciness of the cake.  This is a cake that would work well with an afternoon tea but that can be dressed up enough for a fancy dessert.

If you want to pair it with a gingerbread drink than try it with this tasty Slow Cooker Gingerbread Latte.  I also love this sweet and spiced Gingerbread Spiced Caramel Latte.

Gingerbread Snack Cake

Gingerbread Snack Cake is a soft, fluffy cake with gingerbread spices and molasses that's finished off with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. molasses
• 1/3 c. butter melted
• 1/4 c. cold brew vanilla coffee
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 Tablespoons ginger peeled and grated
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 pan with baking spray and set aside.
• In a medium bowl combine the all purpose flour and whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Stir until well combined.
• In a large bowl combine the milk, molasses, melted butter, coffee, sugar, ginger, and egg. Whisk until smooth.
• Pour the flour mixture into the milk mixture and whisk until just blended.
• Pour into the prepared bake and bake for 25 minutes-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool for at least an hour.
• Once the cake has cooled sprinkle it with powdered sugar and cut it into 12 squares.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light