Gingerbread Cake for Two - Quick, Easy and Delicious

I love gingerbread. It is, simply put, one of my favorite choices when it comes to choosing a comforting dessert or teatime treat. I know I am not alone in that because all of the gingerbread cake recipes on my page remain eternally popular. 

Gingerbread flavors, they never go out of style.  Moist and delicious, they hearken back to an older period in time.  Sweet, spicy, warm and slightly smoky from the molasses. This just never gets old.

Whether you enjoy it as a dessert with ice cream, or whipped cream, or as a savory spread with butter, this never fails to go down a real treat. 

This version is for the smaller family and cuts perfectly into four squares or two slabs (depending on your appetite.) It's quick and easy to make and is moist and delicious!  Enjoy!

 

REASONS WHY I LOVE

THIS

GINGERBREAD CAKE FOR TWO

AND WHY YOU WILL TOO

I hate waste and this is the perfect sized cake for me. You can either serve it as a delicious cake for two, with leftovers for the next day, or you can use it as a simple cake for four, cut into four equal squares without any leftovers at all.

Its quick and easy to make, requiring no special equipment. I beat and mix this together by hand. Nothing fancy required.

It smells amazing while it is baking. Who needs air freshener when this is in the oven!  Nobody, that's who!

It's very versatile, according to what you decide to serve with it. I enjoy it simply cut into squares, split and buttered. It makes a fabulous cake served with ice cream or whipped cream. I dare say a warm custard sauce would also be delicious!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

GINGERBREAD CAKE FOR TWO

You need nothing more than a few simple store and baking cupboard ingredients, and a dash or two of love.

• 2 TBS granulated sugar
• 2 TBS butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup (88g) molasses (in the U.K. use half golden syrup and half dark treacle)
• 2/3 cup (83g) unsifted all-purpose plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) hot water

 

In the U.K. use castor sugar. Granulated sugar in the U.K. is much coarser than granulated sugar here in Canada. I used salted butter.

If you cannot find molasses in the U.K, mixing together equal parts of golden syrup and dark treacle works very well as a substitution.

The water should be quite hot. This helps to activate the baking soda, so do make sure you pour the batter into the pan and bake as soon as possible after mixing the cake together.

 

HOW TO MAKE

GINGERBREAD CAKE FOR TWO

This is not a difficult make and bake. You will have great success if you follow the instructions exactly.

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a small baking dish. Mine is 5 by 7 inches in size. A 5 by 5-inch dish will also work. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom together in a small bowl. Set aside. (Whisking the dry ingredients together first will make sure that everything is evenly distributed.)
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk until thoroughly incorporated. Mix in the molasses, once again, until thoroughly incorporated. (Creaming the butter and sugar makes sure that the sugar melts properly into the batter.)
4. Stir in the dry ingredients just to combine. (Overmixing will toughen the batter. Mix only until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour.)
5. Slowly whisk in the hot water until the batter is smooth and evenly mixed. Pour this into the prepared dish, spreading it out evenly. (I use the back of a metal spoon to spread it out.)
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool slightly before serving.

 

THIS WILL KEEP FOR SEVERAL DAYS, TIGHTLY COVERED. YOU CAN ALSO FREEZE THIS CAKE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, WRAPPED AND STORED IN AN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER.

 

HINTS AND TIPS

TO ENSURE SUCCESS WHEN BAKING

THIS CAKE

• Have all of your ingredients ready before you begin and at room temperature.
• Use the right sized baking dish. Mine is five by seven inches. A five-inch square dish also works well as will two 10-ounce ramekins.
• Butter your baking dish really well so as to prevent sticking. I use non-stick low-fat cooking spray.
• Preheat your oven thoroughly before beginning.
• Don't overmix the batter. This will toughen the crumb of the finished cake. Mix only to combine thoroughly with no dry streaks remaining.

 

WHAT CAN I SERVE 

WITH 

GINGERBREAD CAKE FOR TWO

While this cake is delicious all on its own, there are a few things which go very well with it and lift the flavors of this tasty cake to a top-level dessert!

1. Top with a dollop of softly whipped cream, or a squirty of squirty cream. A dollop of clotted cream or creme fraiche would also be very nice.

2. Lemon curd. Gently warm some lemon curd and spoon over top.

3. Vanilla Ice Cream. A scoop of cold vanilla ice cream would go very nicely with this cake.

4. Caramel Sauce.  A drizzle of caramel sauce (found in the dessert section of the shops) is lovely spooned over top.

5. Lemon Sauce. The spiced lemon sauce from this recipe is lovely spooned over top.

 

A FEW OTHER

GINGER CAKE RECIPES

FOR YOU TO ENJOY

We love gingerbread in this house. Here are a few other favorites of ours.

SQUIDGY GINGERBREAD 

When you dip your fork into this delicious gingerbread you realize what a treat it really is. Squidgy, damp, melt in the mouth ginger deliciousness. When you sink your teeth into its deliciously squidgy moistness . . . you realize that this is truly a Gingerbread to fall in love with. I enjoy its split and filled with lemon curd. This is the Cadillac of gingerbread cakes!

STICKY TOPPED GINGERBREAD 

Think of this sort of as a gingerbread flavored sticky toffee pudding. No dates, just a warm spicy gingerbread cake, topped with a lovely caramel like sticky toffee sauce. Delicious as is with no embellishments, but whipped cream or clotted cream on top is also really rather good.

 

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Yield: 2 servings with leftovers

Author: Marie Rayner

Mini Gingerbread Cake

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Perfectly sized and beautifully spiced, this moist dense gingerbread cake makes a fabulous dessert. Serve warm with whipped cream, ice cream, lemon curd, etc. I like it served warm and spread with butter.

Ingredients

• 2 TBS granulated sugar
• 2 TBS butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup (88g) molasses (in the U.K. use half golden syrup and half dark treacle)
• 2/3 cup (83g) unsifted all-purpose plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) hot water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a small baking dish. Mine is 5 by 7 inches in size. A 5 by 5-inch dish will also work. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk until thoroughly incorporated. Mix in the molasses, once again, until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Stir in the dry ingredients just to combine.
5. Slowly whisk in the hot water until the batter is smooth and evenly mixed. Pour this into the prepared dish, spreading it out evenly.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool slightly before serving.

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