🎄Baked with Love❤️
I’m one of those people who loves (almost) all things old fashioned. I’m especially fond of old-fashioned dessert favorites. (I also love “Old Fashioned” Cocktails too, but that’s another story.) I “present” to you here, two treats in one, Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake and Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce. This dessert celebrates my love of scrumptious, right from the oven, warm gingerbread combined with the irresistibly delightful taste of bourbon🥃! Gingerbread cake is one of those lost desserts, not typically seen around much anymore. I think it really needs to make a comeback. That’s why I love to make Old Fashioned Gingerbread with Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce for the holidays.
The cake is extremely moist and fluffy. Molasses and ginger gives the cake its distinctive flavor and a little bitterness. The sweet bourbon butterscotch sweetens it up and a little lightly whipped cream adds a perfect creaminess to combine the flavors. This is one dreamy treat! If you don’t want to cook with bourbon, you can replace with water. You will still enjoy a delicious butterscotch sauce without it. Oh, the butterscotch!
My mom loves Old Fashioned Gingerbread and I used to bake it for her during the holidays. (After she reads this, I bet she’s going to want one this year too!)
Christmas Eve Traditions
When we were growing up, my parents would throw a Christmas Eve party, every year. The house would be filled with friends and family. My mom always served a deli tray filled with sliced meats and cheeses, always served with a selection of breads from the bakery. It made the prep a little easier for a mom who had three kids and a full time job.
My contribution to the annual shin-dig was almost always baked! My mom was my biggest baking fan and she’d let me take over the kitchen and bake away. For our annual holiday party, I almost always made her favorite, Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake.
This is perfect for your holiday parties 🦃🎄🕎🎉. You’ll love it served warm, right from the oven, then topped with this irresistible sauce and a little whipped cream too. Here’s how I make it!
Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce
Into 1 cup measure, add 1/2 cup bourbon and 1/2 cup water, set aside.
Into a medium sized heavy bottomed sauce pan, add 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. Let the sugar melt on medium low heat, slowly. It’s best if the sugar melts slowly and evenly.
Once the sugar starts to turn golden, it’s now caramel and extremely hot. To keep the melting even, gently swirl the pan. Once it starts to turn amber and all the sugar has melted, remove the pot from the heat and very slowly add the water and the bourbon.
Let it trickle slowly down the side of the pot to avoid popping, although it will sputter and bubble, return to the heat. The mixture will seize up, but stir in the butter until it is melted again and fully incorporated.
Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool completely. Pour into a canning jar for storing and serving.
You can make the sauce up to a week ahead, then re-heat before serving. To reheat when you’re ready to serve, just place the jar, uncovered into a shallow pot of boiling water until the sauce is warm enough to serve.
By the way, the cake and the sauce make a great host/hostess gift. Just write up a recipe card and pack up the cake and a jar of the bourbon butterscotch sauce with instructions on how to reheat and serve.
The Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake
Preheat your oven to 350º.
Into the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together 1/2 cup unsalted, softened butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
Next add 1 cup of dark, unsulphured molasses (Such as Grandma’s Original) and 2 eggs. Beat until well combined.
Into a separate bowl, add 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine. Add the dry mixture to the wet and using a spatula, mix to combine.
Add 1 cup boiling water, and whisk until the mixture is combined and their are no lumps.
Pour the batter into a 8 inch square baking pan that’s been sprayed with a non-stick spray.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve this cake warm with warmed Bourbon Butterscotch sauce and a bit of whipped cream on top. Enjoy!
Gingerbread with Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce
Notes
If you prefer to make the sauce without bourbon, just substitute with water, for a total 1 cup water instead of 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup bourbon.
Ingredients
For the Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
For the Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Grandma's Original Unsulphured Molasses or similar
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar (optional)
Instructions
For the Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce
- Into 1 cup measure, add 1/2 cup bourbon and 1/2 cup water, set aside.
- Into a medium sized heavy bottomed sauce pan, add 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. Let the sugar melt on medium low heat, slowly. It's best if the sugar melts slowly and evenly. Once the sugar starts to turn golden, it's now caramel and extremely hot. You may gently swirl the pan to help with even melting. Once the sugar is completely melted and amber colored, remove the pot from the heat and very slowly add the water and the bourbon. Let it trickle slowly down the side of the pot to avoid popping, although it will sputter and bubble. Stir in the butter until it is fully incorporated. The mixture will seize up until it's come back up to temperature. Stir to melt completely, then remove from heat to cool. Pour into a canning jar for storing and serving.
- You can make the sauce up to a week ahead, then re-heat before serving. To reheat, place the jar, uncovered into a shallow pot of boiling water until the sauce is warm enough to serve.
For The Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350º.
- Into the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together 1/2 cup unsalted, softened butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Next add 1 cup unsulphured molasses (Such as Grandma's Original) and 2 eggs. Beat until well combined.
- Into a separate bowl, add 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine. Add the dry mixture to the wet and using a spatula, mix to combine. Add 1 cup boiling water, and whisk until the mixture is combined and their are no lumps. Pour the batter into a 8 inch square baking pan that's been sprayed with a non-stick spray.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the Whipped Cream
- In a chilled medium sized bowl, add 1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar. Whip until the mixture forms soft fold peaks.
- To Serve:
- Serve this cake warm with warmed Bourbon Butterscotch sauce and a bit of freshly whipped cream on top. Enjoy!
Karen Harris https://www.bittersaltysoursweet.com
