The best gingerbread cake
Table of Contents
It’s still not too late to enjoy a delicious homemade gingerbread cake. it’s the best I’ve ever had in my life! Of course, it’s Thierry Mulhaupt’s gingerbread loaf. It is super soft and very tasty.
The spices perfume the house throughout the preparation. The taste of the spices, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, etc., is present but not overpowering. If you like soft gingerbread, this is the recipe for you.
It is one of the iconic cakes of the Advent season, Christmas, and year-end celebrations, alongside panettone, kouglof, fruitcake and many others. Enjoy it with your family by the crackling fireplace, while you get down to decorating the Christmas tree.
With a slice of foie gras on a bed of fig confit this gingerbread is pure delight! If you don’t have confit, a good fig jam will be perfect.
Thierry Mulhaupt, who attended the Beaux Arts, revisits the art of pastry-making and chocolate as a virtuoso. In particular, he has succeeded in restoring gingerbread to its former glory with his deliciously multifaceted creations source |
How to store gingerbread cake?
The advantage of gingerbread cake is that it stays soft for a long time. It can be stored for up to 15 days, wrapped in cling film or aluminum foil and placed in an airtight box.
To keep it fresh for a few months and always have some on hand, gingerbread freezes very well. I slice it so that I can take as much as I need.
To defrost, you can take it out the day before and leave it in the fridge to defrost slowly, or leave it at room temperature if you need it quickly.
You won’t need to reheat it, it’s very tasty and soft without it. However, if you like it a little warm, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds.
How do you keep gingerbread moist?
Some recipes recommend coating gingerbread with apricot or orange jam to make it even softer. Others recommend coating with melted butter straight from the oven.
For this gingerbread cake recipe, it’s not necessary because it’s already very soft, shiny and keeps its softness for a very long time. No need to add extra calories.
Many of you have tried it, and your gingerbread cake is beautiful. I always feature them on facebook or my youtube community. I’ll soon be putting up a category with your creations, so don’t hesitate to send them to me.
I have received messages that have often moved me deeply because they are so kind. Can you imagine the joy of seeing one of your cakes bring happiness to a family? It’s magical. Long live sharing!
You can also make mini gingerbreads in cardboard boxes, so you can offer them to gourmets like yourself.
Gingerbread recipe in video
The Best Moist Gingerbread Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
For a loaf pan of 26 x 10 x 7 cm (10.2 x 3.9 x 2.8 inches).
NB: You can find the printable recipe card at the end of the article.
- 320 g (11.3 oz) wildflower honey (dark)
- 270 g (9.5 oz) flour
- 110 g ( 3.9 oz) butter
- 130 g milk ( 4.6 oz)
- 50 g brown sugar (1.8 oz) (This can be omitted. It adds more color, and the gingerbread becomes slightly more airy).
- 1 medium egg
- teaspoons baking soda (9 g) or, alternatively, a sachet of baking powder (7 g)
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/2 teaspoon green anise powder
- 1 clove
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom seeds
- 1 star anise
- 2 pinches of salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
You can replace all the spices with 4 teaspoons of “4-spice” gingerbread powder, available in bottles.
Preparation steps :
Start by buttering your baking loaf cake pan and lining it with baking parchment, which is optional as the gingerbread won’t stick to the tin.
Slightly heat the milk with the seeded spices. Strain and infuse for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 160°C ( 320° F)
1. Sift flour, then add brown sugar, powdered spices, orange zest, salt and baking soda. Whisk to combine.
2. Melt butter and honey separately over low heat. Warm the milk slightly and add it through a sieve to the honey, mixing well and adding the melted butter. Mix well.
3. Whisk the vanilla and egg into the flour, then gradually add the honey, butter and milk mixture. Mix gradually, without whisking vigorously.
It’s very important to add the liquids in batches and to mix without whisking. Pour into the loaf pan and bake immediately.
4. Place in the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, adjusting the time according to your oven. Leave the drip tray on the top rack of the oven and place the cake pan on the second rack from the bottom. Check the baking after 50 minutes. A skewer pricked in the center should come out dry.
5. Once cooked, turn out onto a wire rack, remove the parchment paper and leave to cool. Wrap well and leave until the next day to cut. It improves with time. Don’t eat it the same day, it’s much more delicious the day after.
You can see from the video that the cut is very fragile on the day itself, but perfect the next day. Gingerbread improves with time.
In the first image below, I cut it just out of the oven and it was very fragile.
Cut below the next day
You’ll love this gingerbread cake recipe, I highly recommend it. At Christmas, it is much appreciated, so plan to make mini gingerbreads cake to give to your friends and family.
The Best Moist Gingerbread Cake Recipe
Ingredients :
For a loaf pan of 26 x 10 x 7 cm (10.2 x 3.9 x 2.8 inches).
- 320 g (11.3 oz) wildflower honey (dark)
- 270 g (9.5 oz) flour
- 110 g (3.9 oz) butter
- 130 g (4.6 oz) milk
- 50 g (1.8 oz)brown sugar (This can be omitted. It adds more color, and the gingerbread becomes slightly more airy).
- 1 medium egg
- 2 teaspoons baking soda (9 g) or, alternatively, a sachet of baking powder (7 g)
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/2 teaspoon green anise powder
- 1 clove
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom seeds
- 1 star anise
- 2 pinches of salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- You can replace all the spices with 4 teaspoons of "4-spice" gingerbread powder available in bottles.
Instructions :
- Start by buttering your baking loaf cake pan and lining it with baking parchment, which is optional as the gingerbread won't stick to the tin.
- Slightly heat the milk with the seeded spices. Strain and infuse for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 160°C ( 320° F)
- Sift flour, then add brown sugar, powdered spices, orange zest, salt and baking soda. Whisk to combine.
- Melt butter and honey separately over low heat.
- Warm the milk slightly and add it through a sieve to the honey, mixing well and adding the melted butter. Mix well.
- Whisk the vanilla and egg into the flour, then gradually add the honey, butter and milk mixture. Mix gradually, without whisking vigorously.
- It's very important to add the liquids in batches and to mix without whisking. Pour into the loaf pan and bake immediately.
- Place in the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, adjusting the time according to your oven.
- Leave the drip tray on the top rack of the oven and place the cake pan on the second rack from the bottom
- Check the baking after 50 minutes. A skewer pricked in the center should come out dry.
- Once cooked, turn out onto a wire rack, remove the parchment paper and leave to cool. Wrap well and leave until the next day to cut. It improves with time. Don't eat it the same day , it's much more delicious the day after.
- You can see from the video that the cut is very fragile on the day itself, but perfect the next day. Gingerbread improves with time.
- I cut it just out of the oven and it was very fragile. Cut below the next day
- You'll love this gingerbread cake recipe, I highly recommend it. At Christmas, it is much appreciated, so plan to make mini gingerbreads cake to give to your friends and family.
Thank you for visiting my baking blog and for your comments.
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2 comments
“This gingerbread cake recipe sounds like a holiday dream come true! I love the blend of spices and the emphasis on letting the flavors develop overnight. Plus, the tips on freezing and storage are super helpful for planning ahead during the busy Christmas season. Can’t wait to try it and share with friends and family!”
I’m delighted that the recipe inspires you to try it. I hope you enjoy this gingerbread as much as we did. Have a wonderful day!