Warm Gingerbread Cake With Crème Anglaise Recipe on Food52 (2024)

In my family, we get together with a larger group in the days around Christmas. But on Christmas Day, it’s a small group. We stay in pajamas all day, and my mom and I cook special food for everyone. So when I think of the holidays, I think of two sort of distinctions of recipe: Christmas Eve recipes (go-tos that can feed a crowd), and Christmas Day recipes (extra special, comforting recipes).

This is a super homey, easy recipe that would be perfect for any sort of gathering with those you love this holiday season. The deeply spiced cake boasts plenty of molasses flavor. It’s fluffy in texture, and served warm. While it’s delectable all on it’s own, my favorite way to accompany it is with a thick vanilla bean custard sauce.

This is insanely delicious if you make the custard sauce fresh, so you can spoon it over the cake while it’s warm. It’s also delicious with chilled custard sauce as a hot/cold contrast with the soft cake, which is more make-ahead friendly, too! To make this even easier, serve with ice cream instead. —Erin Jeanne McDowell

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C with the oven rack in the center. Grease a 9x9 in/23x23 cm pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg to combine. In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk the water and molasses together to combine.
3. In a small bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest to combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, the orange sugar, and the fresh ginger until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well to combine. Scrape the bowl well. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed to combine. Add half of the water/molasses mixture and mix on low speed to combine. Scrape the bowl well and repeat, alternating the dry and wet ingredients until they are fully incorporated and a smooth batter forms.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the surface all over with turbinado sugar. Transfer to the oven and bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes to serve warm (or cool completely).
6. Cut the cake into 12 even squares for serving. Pour custard sauce over just before serving.

Recipe by: Erin Jeanne McDowell