Let's Make Old Fashioned Molasses Cake (Simple, Cozy, & Delicious)

There’s nothing quite like an Old-Fashioned Molasses Cake when you’re craving comfort and flavor. This festive friendly recipe brings together sweet molasses along with warm baking spices to create a cake that tastes like Home Sweet Home for the Holidays. Simple enough for everyday cooking yet special enough to serve at gatherings, it’s a true crowd-pleaser.

Made with simple everyday baking cupboard ingredients and baked to moist and tender perfection, this delicious cake is a timeless favorite that never goes out of style. Whether you’re baking it for family, friends, or just yourself, every bite feels like a little celebration, making it the perfect Holiday Cake!

 

This was a recipe that I saw on a page entitled Sweet Precision. It really appealed to me. It sounded very much like a Gingerbread and I love Gingerbread.  Christmas and these warm baking spices are just such a perfect fit!

I was very pleased with this recipe. The cake was very quick and easy to put together. There was nothing complicated about it at all. I had it in the oven and baking before you could say Jack Rabbit!  And the smell of it baking was phenomenal.  I love the smell of warm baking spices. They just make the house smell like a place that is warm and welcoming.

I chose not to make the rum glaze that she used. I wanted something a bit prettier than that for the holidays and so I created a sweet Butter Cream & Vanilla glaze.  I thought it looked so pretty drizzled over the folds of this cake.  This is a star shaped Bundt pan. Very Christmassy.

This was delicious served, cut into wedges. Moist and beautifully flavored with the molasses and those spices and perfect with a hot cup of herbal tea.   It would also make a fabulous dessert served with either a dollop of whipped cream on top or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You decide! Dressed in that way it makes the perfect holiday dessert!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE 

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES CAKE

There is nothing out of the ordinary here.

For the cake:

• 2 1/2 cups (313g) all purpose, plain flour
• 2 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup (172g) butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (175g) molasses
• 1 cup (240ml) hot water

For the Vanilla Butter Glaze:

• 1 cup (130g) icing sugar
• 1/2 TBS soft butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 TBS cream (Or as much needed to give you a thick drizzle glaze)

 

When measuring the ingredients use all metric or all linear. Do not mix the two.

Use plain, all-purpose flour.  Do not use self-rising flour. The amounts of leavening will be off.  

Use the spices as directed. Alternately you can use the equivalent in mixed spice (UK) or Pumpkin  or Gingerbread spice. (USA) The addition of ground cardamom is also very nice.

I used salted butter.

If you want a deeper molasses flavor, use soft dark brown sugar.  In the U.K. I would use muscovado sugar.

Use water hot from the tap. No need for it to be boiling water.

I used whipping cream. You could also use milk. You want the mixture to have the right consistency for being drizzled.

 

HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES CAKE

This is a cake that goes together quickly and easily without a lot of faffing about.

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Spray a 10 cup Bundt tin with some non-stick spray and lightly dust with flour. Alternately use the baking spray that already has flour in it. (I used non-stick baking spray and had no problem, but I have a very high quality Nordic Bundt pan.)
2. Whisk the flour, spices, salt, baking powder, and soda together in a bowl until well combined. (Alternately you can sift them together into the bowl.)
3. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl using an electric hand whisk on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, until well incorporated. Beat in the molasses. (The mixture should be smooth and well amalgamated.)
5. Using the mixer on low speed, add the flour in three additions alternating with the hot water, beginning and ending with flour. The batter should be thick and smooth.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing over the top.
7. Bake for 30 minutes. Cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil and bake for a further 30 to 35 minutes. (The tin foil will help the cake from getting too dark on the top. Do not put the foil on tightly. Leave it so that air can circulate.)
8. The cake is done when the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack and removing from the pan. Leave to cool completely. (This will help the cake to release better.)
10. To make the glaze whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth and only adding enough cream to give you the right consistency for drizzling it over the cake.
11. Spoon the drizzle icing over the cake in a decorative way. I also sprinkled on some pearl sugar crystals, but that is not necessary.

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• Make sure you read the recipe thoroughly before beginning to familiarize yourself with any equipment or ingredients needed.
• Assemble all of the ingredients together before you begin. This can help prevent you from leaving out something integral to the recipe.
• Have your butter and eggs at room temperature. This will give you a much better result as the cake batter will blend together more easily.
• Measure all of your ingredients with precision. Baking is an exact science.
• Make sure to generously grease and flour your baking tin to help prevent it from sticking.
• Do leave the cake to cool in the tin for at least 15 minutes before tipping it out. This will help to prevent the cake from cracking or sticking to the pan.

  

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN THIS CAKE BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, you can make the cake ahead of time. I would not glaze it until about an hour prior to serving however.

WHAT IS MOLASSES?

Molasses is a by-product created during the sugar making process. It is a very thick syrup with a strong, sweet, smoky malt like flavor. You can find out more about that process here. 

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF MOLASSES?

You can use dark corn syrup, maple syrup, honey or a mixture of half dark treacle and golden syrup in its place. I find that dark treacle on its own has far too strong a flavor. Having said that, the flavor of the cake will be slightly changed by using a different syrup.

CAN THIS CAKE BE FROZEN?

Yes, you can freeze the baked cake. Wrap carefully in plastic cling film and then in a layer of aluminum foil. Label and date.  Freeze until solid. This will keep in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw out completely before using. Do NOT glaze prior to freezing. Save that for when you are ready to serve it.

CAN I USE ANOTHER BAKING TIN INSTEAD OF A BUNDT TIN?

Yes you can use two 9 by 5-inch loaf tins if you wish. The bake time will not be as long in this case. I would check it at 40 minutes.

  

A FEW MORE BUNDT CAKES TO ENJOY

A delicious Bundt cake turns every occasion into a celebration. Here are a few more favorites of mine!

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN BUNDT CAKE - This is  a unique and special way to bake and present this old family classic dessert.  It lacks nothing of the original, except that instead of being a flat cake, it is baked in a ring cake. It is also very pretty. I make the cake itself from scratch but if you wish you can also use a yellow cake mix in place of the scratch cake. It is delicious and very attractive either way, cut into slices and served with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BUNDT CAKE - This moist and dense chocolate cake makes for the perfect holiday dessert, especially with its rich chocolate frosting and garnish of crushed candy canes or peppermint candy! Christmas and peppermint just go together like peas and carrots, don't you think?

  

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Yield: 16 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Old Fashioned Molasses Cake

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 5 MTotal time: 1 H & 20 M

Moist and delicious this is a lovely spice cake with a deep molasses and spice flavor. A vanilla cream and butter glaze goes very well.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 1/2 cups (313g) all purpose, plain flour
• 2 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup (172g) butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (175g) molasses
• 1 cup (240ml) hot water

For the Vanilla Butter Glaze:

• 1 cup (130g) icing sugar
• 1/2 TBS soft butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 TBS cream (Or as much needed to give you a thick drizzle glaze)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Spray a 10 cup Bundt tin with some non-stick spray and lightly dust with flour. Alternately use the baking spray that already has flour in it.
2. Whisk the flour, spices, salt, baking powder, and soda together in a bowl until well combined.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl using an electric hand whisk on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, until well incorporated. Beat in the molasses.
5. Using the mixer on low speed, add the flour in three additions alternating with the hot water, beginning and ending with flour. The batter should be thick and smooth.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing over the top.
7. Bake for 30 minutes. Cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil and bake for a further 30 to 35 minutes.
8. The cake is done when the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack and removing from the pan. Leave to cool completely.
10. To make the glaze whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth and only adding enough cream to give you the right consistency for drizzling it over the cake.
11. Spoon the drizzle icing over the cake in a decorative way. I also sprinkled on some pearl sugar crystals, but that is not necessary.

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