One-Bowl Gingerbread Cake with Molasses Glaze

This soft gingerbread cake is full of spice and packed with a robust molasses flavor. It’s quick and easy to make and topped with a sweet molasses glaze.

This is a sponsored post. I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Crosby’s, Canada’s oldest molasses company, to create this recipe for you. Though monetary compensation was received, all opinions are my own. This recipe is from Crosby’s Everyday Favourites Recipe E-book and what I love about it is not only is it incredibly delicious, but it’s also large enough to feed a crowd. It’s a great recipe to keep in mind, especially with the Canadian Thanksgiving coming up. This gingerbread cake would be perfect for any large gatherings, office parties, potlucks, and holiday entertaining. I added a simple molasses glaze to the cake to make it extra special and some pecans for crunch. Crosby Molasses Co Ltd is a fifth generation, family-owned, Canadian company. Headquartered in Saint John, NB, Crosby Molasses has been importing sugarcane molasses to Canada for 140 years and is proud of being one of the world’s largest importers of fancy and blackstrap molasses.

The process to make fancy molasses has changed little since the 1800s. The sugarcane is pressed to extract the juice and the juice is then evaporated and inverted into a syrup. The main difference is that today only a handful of sugar mills in the world produce fancy molasses. Once the primary sweetener along the Eastern seaboard and throughout Quebec, fancy molasses is a heritage ingredient that gives traditional recipes that old-fashioned flavour. Think baked beans, brown bread, molasses cookies, bran muffins, and gingerbread. But because molasses adds a distinct flavour, it lets cooks inject a little old-fashioned authenticity into contemporary dishes too.  Because Crosby’s is all about making it easier for you to prepare wholesome food that’s healthy and tastes good, they’re giving away a KitchenAid Artisan Mini Stand Mixer. Simply subscribe to their recipe emails and you’ll be entered in the draw. It’s that easy. Click on the sign-up link here>>> Win A Kitchenaid! Contest closes October 6, 2019.

How to make one-bowl gingerbread cake:

(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)

1. You start by beating your butter and sugar together.
2. Next, you beat in your eggs and molasses. Then whisk in the hot water.
3. Sprinkle in your flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Whisk again until smooth.
4. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13″ baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes.

Expert tip:

Before measuring your molasses, grease your measuring cup or spoon with oil, butter or non-stick cooking spray and the molasses will come out with ease. For this recipe, I sprayed my measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray before pouring in the molasses.

What is the difference between fancy molasses, blackstrap molasses, and cooking molasses?

• Fancy molasses is the highest grade of molasses available. It is pure sugarcane juice that has been condensed, inverted and purified. It is 100% natural, contains no additives, is unsulfured and non-GMO certified. Fancy molasses is gluten-free and paleo. It is also 35% less sweet than white sugar and contains 25% fewer carbs.
• Blackstrap molasses is the highly concentrated, final by-product of the refined sugar manufacturing process. As the sugar crystallizes, the residual cane juice thickens into a dark mass and is separated out through a centrifuge. The resulting molasses is very dark with a robust, somewhat bitter flavour. Blackstrap molasses is often used as a natural colouring agent in foods. Some prefer the more robust flavour of blackstrap molasses when preparing foods like baked beans or gingerbread.
• Cooking molasses is a blend of blackstrap and fancy molasses. It is thicker and darker than fancy molasses, less sweet, and with a more “full-flavoured” taste. It’s excellent in baked beans and a variety of sauces, such as barbeque and sweet-and-sour sauce.

You might also like:

• Quick Molasses Brown Bread
• Soft & Chewy Molasses Cookies
• Raisin Bran Muffins
• Soft Gingerbread Cookies

This gingerbread cake has all the great taste of a gingerbread cookie, but is softer and there’s more of it to enjoy. It’s topped with a sweet flavourful glaze and crunchy pecans. And it’s also great for sharing with family and friends. You can download the original recipe e-book here and view hundreds of other fabulous recipes using Crosby’s molasses here.

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