Molasses-ginger cake

An upgraded version of a classic favourite!

When I was growing up, a regular dessert – one we enjoyed almost every week – was traditional gingerbread; the recipe was my grandmother’s. Not the cookies, but a rich, dense cake that was often served warm, with whipped cream or ice cream (if we were lucky). Molasses features prominently in cuisine from Nova Scotia (where my family is from) and other Atlantic provinces of Canada thanks to historic trade with the Caribbean, so I developed a real taste for the combination of molasses and ginger at a very young age. This cake – with a generous helping of freshly grated gingerroot in it – is versatile and delicious, making it ideal for brunch, teatime or as a dessert. I definitely recommend using a round spring form pan if you have one; for whatever reason, slices of cake (rather than squares) always look prettier. If you like this flavour combination, you’ll likely also enjoy my old-fashioned molasses ginger cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 mL) molasses (regular, not black strap)
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (227 g) melted butter  
• 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and powdered ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground cloves and finely ground black pepper
• 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup (62 g) finely grated gingerroot
• 2 eggs, at room temperature

Method

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9 or 9 1/2 inch (22.5 or 24 cm) round spring form pan with a circle of parchment paper and grease the sides. Set pan aside.
• Combine the molasses, sugar, and melted butter in a large mixing bowl. In separate bowl, blend together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black pepper.
• Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan (or in a microwave-safe bowl). Stir in the baking soda, then pour the hot water mixture into the molasses mixture. Stir in the grated ginger.
• Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet. Once dry ingredients have all been blended in, add the eggs one at a time and stir until thoroughly combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a tester inserted into the centre comes out clean, or the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a fingertip.  
• Cool the cake for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream or ice cream if you like.
• Leftover cake can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Serves 12-14.