Old-Fashioned Sourdough Gingerbread Cake Recipe

sourdough gingerbread cake

The wind is blowing mach 9 and the snow drifts have formed mini-mountains on my deck…

Welcome to winter in Wyoming.

People ask how we survive our brutal winters here, and honestly, I’ve just learned how to be content with lots of indoor projects over the years.

I used to fight the long, dark winter nights, but now I sink into them.

We read, we play games, we create, and we bake.

And this simple, old-fashioned gingerbread cake recipe is everything you’ve ever wanted on a cozy winter’s night.

Sourdough… in a Cake?!

Believe it or not, sourdough can be an excellent addition in cakes with strong flavors, such as chocolate or spice cake. (Or in the sourdough brownies I included in my cookbook).

And even if you have family members who aren’t exactly sourdough enthusiasts, odds are they won’t even notice the addition of a bit of sourdough, as the sweetness generally masks it quite well.

Plus, this sourdough gingerbread cake is the perfect way to use up sourdough discard you may have left over after you feed your starter.

The Best Type of Sourdough For Gingerbread Cake

Any starter will do for this gingerbread cake– even if it’s been in the fridge for a while and isn’t active. Since we add a dash of baking soda to this recipe, it will do the heavy lifting as far as leavening goes, so the discard doesn’t need to provide any rising power.

(Bonus– if you are a sourdough beginner or have struggled with sourdough breads in the past, this is the perfect sourdough newbie recipe- it’s hard to mess it up!)

If you don’t have a sourdough starter at the moment, you can learn how to make one right here OR keep scrolling for a non-sourdough version!

sourdough gingerbread cake recipe

Sourdough Gingerbread Cake Recipe

Yield: One 9-inch cake

Cake Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown sugar or sucanat
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 cup sourdough starter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup flour
1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup hot water (100 degrees F)

Caramel Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon organic cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (how to make your own vanilla extract)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9-inch pan.

Beat the brown sugar and butter together in with a mixer (or by hand) until smooth.

Mix in the molasses, eggs, sourdough starter, and baking soda.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stir, then mix in the hot water until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, then bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Serve warm, with caramel sauce drizzled over the top.

To Make the Caramel Sauce:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch, then stir in 1?4 cup water and whisk until smooth. Add the cream and butter and cook until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm in a small saucepan over medium heat until heated through.

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake (no sourdough)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, preferably organic whole cane sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup hot water (100°F)
3/4 cup molasses

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix the butter, sugar, and eggs until well combined, then whisk in the hot water and molasses. Add the molasses mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm, with the sauce drizzled over the top. The gingerbread will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Kitchen Notes:

Normally you add baking soda to the dry ingredients, but adding to the wet mixture in this recipe helps the cake not to fall in the middle.
You can also top your cake with powdered sugar or homemade whipped cream, but the caramel sauce is pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself…
For another old-fashioned holiday favorite, try these Old-Fashioned Molasses cookies

old-fashioned gingerbread cake recipe