Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Recipe

This Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Recipe is a rich and spicy recipe, which is made with deep unsulphured molasses and warming ground ginger. It’s the ultimate comfort food recipe, ready in about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

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Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Recipe Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dark rum or water
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup minced dried crystallized ginger (not in syrup)
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, optional
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice

How To Make Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Recipe

1. Prep the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8-inch cake pan, line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the parchment to ensure the cake releases easily.
2. Plump the raisins: In a small saucepan, combine the dark rum (or water) and golden raisins. Cover and heat just until the liquid boils. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside to let the raisins plump up and absorb the liquid.
3. Make the molasses base: In another small pan, melt the butter with the molasses. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Pour this hot liquid into the bowl of an electric mixer and let it cool for 5 minutes.
4. Combine the wet ingredients: Once the molasses mixture has cooled slightly, use the paddle attachment to mix in the sour cream and grated orange zest until combined.
5. Combine and add the dry ingredients: While the wet ingredients are mixing, sift the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix only until a smooth batter forms.
6. Add mix-ins and bake: Drain any excess liquid from the plumped raisins. Using a spatula, gently fold the drained raisins and the minced crystallized ginger into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Cool and glaze: Let the gingerbread cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice to create a glaze. Pour it over the gingerbread, allowing it to drip down the sides. Let the glaze set before cutting into squares to serve.

Recipe Tips

• Why use hot molasses and butter: Boiling the molasses and butter helps dissolve the sugars fully and creates a very smooth emulsion when mixed with the sour cream, resulting in a velvety texture.
• Do I have to use rum: The rum adds a depth of flavor and cuts through the sweetness, but water works perfectly fine for plumping the raisins if you prefer an alcohol-free version.
• How to chop crystallized ginger: Crystallized ginger is very sticky. To make chopping easier, lightly coat your knife blade with non-stick spray or dust the ginger pieces with a little flour before mincing.
• Why use sour cream: Sour cream provides acidity which reacts with the baking soda to leaven the cake, while its fat content ensures the gingerbread stays incredibly moist.

What To Serve With Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

This spicy cake is delicious on its own, but pairs wonderfully with creamy accompaniments.

• A dollop of slightly sweetened whipped cream
• Warm lemon sauce or lemon curd
• Vanilla custard or crème anglaise
• A scoop of cinnamon ice cream

How To Store Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Recipe

• Refrigerate: Gingerbread is very moist and keeps well. Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week.
• Freeze: You can freeze the unglazed gingerbread. Wrap the whole cake or individual squares tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and glaze before serving.

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Recipe Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 360
• Total Fat: 14g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Cholesterol: 40mg
• Sodium: 220mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 58g
• Dietary Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 35g
• Protein: 3g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

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