Soft, moist, and richly spiced Gingerbread Snack Cake with Earl Grey Glaze is full of festive Christmas flavor, and is the perfect thing to accompany a steaming cup of holiday tea.
Closing my eyes and tipping my head back slightly, I inhale deeply. I smell a crispness in the air; faintly wood smoke, pine trees, and a richly spiced sweet aroma.
At that my eyes pop open and a longing for gingerbread hits me! I know it won’t be long before one graces my kitchen.
That was two weeks ago, and I couldn’t hold out any longer. And anyway, I’ve been working on perfecting my gingerbread recipe since last winter, and it’s high time it saw the light of day.
The Best Gingerbread Snack Cake Recipe
I did quite a bit of research before experimenting with my own gingerbread recipe. I noticed that most recipes use a 1:1 ratio of white sugar to molasses, so that’s what I went with here.
Also, I use a homemade spice blend, but don’t be intimidated because it’s easy to whip up if you have a well-stocked spice cabinet. You’ll notice that I use both dried ground ginger and fresh ginger (which a lot of gingerbread recipes use) because I find they’re actually quite different in flavor. And fresh ginger really wakes up the flavor of this cake.
Milk gives this cake a tender crumb, and butter adds a bit of richness.
Oh, and it’s completely optional, but I like to add a shredded apple to keep it ultra moist (and bump up the nutrition just a teensy bit).
This cake is perfect for munching on along with afternoon tea or coffee. It’s the sort of thing that you tell yourself you’ll just eat a square of. But then three squares later you realize it’s surprisingly addictive.
It's aromatic with spices, soft and moist, and just sweet enough because the use of molasses with its complex bitter notes keeps it from being over-the-top cloyingly sweet.
Glaze for Gingerbread Snack Cake
And let’s talk for a minute about this glaze. This soft, moist Gingerbread Snack Cake really doesn’t need anything on top, so you can feel free to leave off the glaze entirely if you want or just lightly dust the top with powdered sugar.
I didn’t want a naked cake (for no particular reason other than that’s the mood I was in, lol), so I opted for a glaze here. Earl Grey tea is the perfect flavor accent to gingerbread with its citrusy bergamot flavor.
How Long Does Gingerbread Cake Stay Fresh?
Store this Gingerbread Snack Cake well-wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Variations on This Gingerbread Snack Cake Recipe
- Get nutty. Add up to ½ cup of your favorite chopped nuts.
- Cut back on the sugar. Simply omit the glaze! Or just dust the top with a little powdered sugar once the cake is cool.
- Make it decadent. Frost it with a thick layer of buttercream, like my Rosemary Vanilla Bean Italian Meringue Buttercream.
Tips for Making Gingerbread Snack Cake
- This is one of those rare recipes where you can use either whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour with great results.
- Don't skip both forms of ginger (dried and fresh). They hit the palate in different places and really add depth to this cake.
- If you want the flavor of the spices to stand out even more and you don't mind a slightly less tender crumb, use water instead of milk.
More Easy Cake Recipes to Make
- Chocolate Guinness Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vanilla Mug Cake
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Strawberry Coffee Cake
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below because I love hearing from you! You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media. To stay up-to-date FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Xoxo, Faith
Gingerbread Snack Cake with Earl Grey Glaze
Ingredients
Gingerbread Snack Cake:
- 1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup blackstrap molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh-grated ginger
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 small apple peeled and shredded (optional)
Earl Grey Glaze:
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground organic Earl Grey tea leaves
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F; butter and flour an 8 by 8-inch or 9 by 9-inch cake pan.
- Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, and then beat in the molasses, egg, fresh ginger, milk, and apple.
- Beat the dry ingredients into the wet half at a time, being careful not to over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
- Once the cake is cooled, make the glaze. To do so, whisk together the powdered sugar, tea, and vanilla. While whisking, gradually add enough milk so it reaches your desired consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze on top of the cake and let it set before cutting and serving.
Faith's Tips
- Store this Gingerbread Snack Cake well-wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on December 12, 2016. I updated it with more information on December 16, 2021.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says
Faith, this is a lovely recipe. I always drink Earl Grey with gingerbread, and I love the way you used that classic combination here.
2pots2cook says
Oh boy, certainly my cup of tea ! Thank you and have a pleasant day !
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
I love this cake, Faith! This is exactly the kind of treat I'm ready for with my afternoon tea. :)