Last updated on December 10th, 2021
Fasten your seat belts, folks. I have a moist and delicious Chocolate Gingerbread Cake to share with you!
Last Friday, I made the cake in a round, standard-size (9-cup) Bundt pan…
And enjoyed multiple slices with a side of whipped cream.
On Sunday, I made the same cake in my nifty new Nordicware “gingerbread house” Bundt pan. I purchased the pan for about $22 from this online source.
The cake, outfitted with windows, chimney, and trees, made a devilishly delicious gift for my devilishly terrific friend Brenda Johnson. Hopefully Brenda will weigh in on the cake’s merits in the comment field below this post.
Whatever Bundt pan you use, be sure to grease and flour it well. Or, do what I did, and simply spray it generously with Baking Spray. Baking spray contains flour. My cake released itself without a hitch. Not one crumb remained in the pan!
To make your cake-baking adventure go smoothly, be sure to measure out all of your ingredients before you start mixing. Speaking from experience, there’s nothing worse than making up a batter only to realize that you forgot to add some key ingredient.
The following preliminary steps will save you a lot of trouble:
First, tip 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa into 1 cup of hot coffee…
And whisk them together.
Then combine each of the following in a small bowl:
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
Also, center the oven rack and heat the oven to 350°F.
We good?
Alrighty then. Let’s make our Chocolate Gingerbread Cake!
Knock 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted, room temperature butter into the work bowl of a standing mixer (or, use any large bowl if you are using handheld electric beaters).
To the butter, add 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil…
And 1 1/4 cups regular granulated sugar.
Beat the butter mixture at medium speed until it turns white and fluffy and it looks to all the world like whipped cream — about 3 minutes. YUM.
Then beat in the baking soda/spice mixture. (Aren’t you glad you mixed these in advance?)
If your spice mixture clings to the sides of the bowl, just scrape it down with a green spatula.
One at a time, beat in 3 large, room temperature eggs (one of my eggs slipped out of the bowl before I snapped this photo).
Beat in 1/2 cup ordinary molasses. Blackstrap molasses is too salty and dry for this cake.
At low speed, beat in 2 cups of flour one big spoonful at a time…
While alternating the flour with the coffee/cocoa mixture that you prepared in advance.
And that’s it — our batter is made!
Tip the batter evenly into the Bundt pan, which, again, should be placed on a baking sheet.
The batter looks and smells so wonderful that you might be tempted, as I was, to eat it raw.
Bake until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean — 55 minutes to 1 hour. My cake, baked in a low-end gas oven, was perfectly done after exactly 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 8-10 minutes. As it cools, the cake will pull away from the sides of the pan, making it easier to unmold.
Then place a cake plate or platter over the Bundt pan…
Say a prayer…
And invert to unmold the cake. Voila — perfection! If located in a nice neighborhood, this house would sell for $1.5 million.
The cake requires nothing more than a dusting of snow (i.e., confectioners sugar) to bring out its architectural details. On the gingerbread house, these details include windows, roof shingles, and foundation plantings. I adorned the platter with freshly-snipped evergreen boughs from my garden. You know, for added curb-appeal.
As you’ve just seen, a stunningly-beautiful cake is really quite easy to achieve. All you need is the right recipe and a standard 9-cup Bundt pan. I’ve tested this recipe twice, and can assure you that it produces a dark, decadent, and magically-moist cake that everyone will want to eat.
Here’s the printable:
A moist, dark, and decadently delicious cake that is baked in a standard (9-cup) Bundt pan. Dust the completely cooled cake with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot coffee
- 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick, or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup ordinary (not "blackstrap") molasses
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (9 ounces)
- Confectioners sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Center the oven rack; heat the oven to 350°F, and spray every nook and cranny inside a standard 9-cup Bundt pan with baking spray. (Baking spray contains flour.) Put the prepared Bundt pan on a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl bowl or glass measure, whisk together the coffee and baking cocoa, and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter, oil, and sugar at medium speed until fluffy and white -- about 3 minutes. Then beat in the baking soda, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. Scrape down the bowl if necessary. Then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then beat in the molasses. At low speed, add the flour and coffee/cocoa mixture in alternating batches.
- Tip the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan, and bake in the preheated oven until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean -- 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool for 8-10 minutes in the pan.
- To unmold, set a plate or platter over the cake pan, and invert the two. Cool completely before dusting with the confectioners' sugar.
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susan gortva says
why does it look like 2 hollow holes? did your regular bundt bake up that way too? or just in this pan? I want to know if its the pan or the recipe that does this or maybe it just looks that way? sorry. but i do follow you. thanks
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Susan – It’s the nature of the “house” pan, I think. No indentations when the cake was baked in a regular Bundt pan.
Andrea says
Is the baking time the same for a regular Bundy (round) pan?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Andrea – Yes. Baking time is the same for a round Bundt pan.
Danella says
Wow! This would look so pretty on a dessert buffet. Love reading your posts. Thank you so much!
Heather says
This looks scrumptious and I’ll definitely give it a go. I’ve had terrible luck however getting cakes out of the nooks and crannies of cake forms despite using spray. Any suggestions?
Dianne says
Kevin, your writing just tickles me… “we good?”
To me, your recipes are easy to follow, because your exact directions and helpful tips, with photographs, give me confidence that I can do that, too!
Congratulations on your beautiful new cookbook! Can’t wait to get my own copy!
Dotsy Royal says
Kevin, I have not been following you long but sure enjoy your emails and reading the wonderful recipes. I read cook boos like I would a novel–I would to add your beautiful book to my collections. I can’t wait to make your chocolate gingerbread cake!
Dotsy Royal
Rocky Mount, NC. 27804
Polly says
Last night we had a wonderful pork/ apple/sauerkraut (homemade with red cabbage, easypeasy) oven dish topped off with your super easy delicious molasses cookies and strawberries. I actually was cooking for 24 people at a church meeting. I doubled the batch of cookies and not a crumb was left!
Jean says
Very nice. I’m going to try it. As you said, it would look beautiful on a Christmas buffet table.
Polly says
Polly says: Now that I gave you an account of my dinner last night so that I can win a new cookbook….:) ! I’d like to add “congratulations” !!! I’ve been eagerly awaiting it and tell my friends about you and your recipes and very often cook up the weekly offering. The new chocolate/ginger cake will satisfy both my daughter(Viv/chocoholic) and my son-in-law (Dave/gingerholic) in one swell foop! Angel wings, please!
John says
Got the oven preheated to 350F. Will serve it tonight for company. It sounds “so November” that I am about to make this right now. 🙂 Did someone say, “Free Kevin Lee Jacobs cookbook”? Count me in, baby. 🙂 I’ve been following you now for many years, Kevin. Good stuff.
Heidi says
Looks so yummy!! Two fave flavors combined!! I need a green spatula- shopping online now:). Congrats on the cookbook!!
Lucretia (Lucie) Pollard says
I love your recipes — and the chocolate gingerbread cake is something I will definitely do over the holidays! Looking forward to the cookbook!!!
Sandy Martinez says
OMG Kevin!! I am so making this for Thanksgiving. Thanks for the link for the pan. Also, thanks for making it look so easy to make. All of your recipes are void of intimidation. Love. Sandy
Nancy says
Hansel and Gretel would have loved to take a bite out of that delicious looking house. I look forward to making it. Thanks again for brightening my day with your wonderful sense of humor!!!
Janet E says
Oh yummy!!!!! Am fixing to make this today – in my well used and loved Kugelhopf pan. Thanks for posting!!!!!
Nancy Smith says
Grandkids will love this “Christmas House”…..Dinner Grand Finally!
Mary in Iowa says
In analyzing the sunken holes, I notice that the roof over the holes looks like the rafters are caving in a bit. I wonder if making sure the batter is firmly poked down into those areas would eliminate the structural problem. Nice touch with the evergreen curb appeal. Maybe the buyers will be so entranced with the beauty they won’t notice the caving in roof.
Gardann says
Love all your recipes.
Haven’t been disappointed by any.
Also enjoy your garden tips, they work well here in N.Illinois.
Joan says
Hi Kevin- love your postings. I make something of yours almost every week.
Living in the Mile High city means high-altitude adjustments for cakes/brownies, etc. Do you know what the adjustment is for this cake? The hubs would love it.
kt mm says
I ♡ thar house!!!
HM says
Kevin, thank you for all your hard work and sharing the results with us.
I have found if I tap the filled cake pan on the table, that the air bubbles do not form and cause the holes that are in your little house.
Donna G says
My mouth was watering reading this article. Looks so yummy!
Sarah P. says
Well, guess I know what I’m baking firStitch ‘n Bi*ch tomorrow night! Wish I had that cool pan, but where would I store it?!
Thanks Kevin, your posts are always wonderful!
Trudi says
WOW this is amazing!
Diane says
OMG! Just made the cake and it is spectacular! Ordered the pan and will make it for Thanksgiving. Love all your tips. Blessings!
Julie says
I love cakes baked in pretty pans! Can you taste the coffee? I’m not a fan of coffee tasting anything..frosting, ice cream, etc. if you say it’s all hidden with the spices, my next question will be, can it be decaf coffee?
Thanks!
Annie says
This cake inspires me to make my very first gingerbread house. And I will make the cake too…Sounds delicious! Thanks Kevin.
Kate says
Kevin, I love your sense of whimsy/humour. Even if I don’t make your recipes I read through them just for your aside comments. Thank you so much for the smiles. Now, to go out and get a green spatula. Wouldn’t you know, I have red, yellow, blue and white . . .
Marie Morgan-Roth says
Hi Kevin,
Are you using salted or unsalted butter in this recipe?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Diane – I’m so glad you made — and liked — this cake!
Hi Julie – Coffee (regular or decaf, your choice) enhances the chocolate flavor of the cake. The cake will not, however, taste like coffee.
Hi Marie – I used unsalted butter. Will note this in the recipe above.
liz says
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I have the same pan, and made a chocolate house for Halloween with green frosting for trim and (edible) spiders for decorations.
I love Laurie Colwin and always make her gingerbread at the holidays. This recipe will be a nice new addition. Thanks so much for sharing it.
Rhonda Strahler says
I am crazy about gingerbread!! I LOVE chocolate! THis is the first thing I am going to do this e=weekend!!
Bonnie jo says
I do not recommend canola oil for anything !
https://draxe.com/canola-oil-gm/
Check out the dangers of canola oil
mae says
Hi….I am baking the cake right now and wanted to point out that adding the molasses does not show up on the printed version of the recipe which I was following. I didn’t even know I had left it out until I put the cake in the oven and saw the bottle sitting on the counter. I’ll let you know how it comes out. yikes?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Mae – thanks so much for informing me about the printable. Correction has been made. I hope the cake still turns out for you, even if missing the 1/2 cup of molasses!
Pam says
thanks for correcting the recipe, Kevin. I had printed the original version, then wondered when to add the molasses as I was making the cake this weekend, ran up to the computer and was relieved to find the corrected version and got that molasses into the mix! I covered the cake, that I made in an ordinary bunt pan, with a chocolate ganache and sprinkled candied violets on top. Pretty and delicious. We all enjoyed the combined tastes of gingerbread and chocolate. Thanks for another nice recipe!
Hetty King says
This was the hit at our Christmas dessert table! Fabulous recipe- deliciously moist! Best gingerbread I’ve ever had! I’m so happy I found your website. It doesn’t come up easily with google searches for recipes, but now that I’ve found you…is there an option to subscribe? Thanks!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Hetty – So glad you enjoyed this cake! Click here to subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
Shannon says
I was wondering if I can sub hot water for the coffee since I’d like my young daughter to also be able to eat it? Or is the caffeine negligible? 😉
PhyllisR says
My husband hates coffee. Any recommendation for a replacement liquid?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi PhyllisR – You won’t be able to taste the coffee in this cake. But if you must omit the coffee, just substitute it with water.
Joan says
I absolutely love this cake, but it always falls in the center. I’ve tried Bundt pans & loaf pans. You can’t tell once it’s inverted or cut into serving pieces, but I’d like to figure out what I’m doing wrong. Any thoughts?