Village Gingerbread classic dessert (Printable)

Moist, tender gingerbread with warm spices ideal for cozy festive occasions and sharing.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons ground ginger
03 - 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
04 - ½ teaspoon ground cloves
05 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
07 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - ¾ cup packed brown sugar
10 - 1 large egg
11 - 1 cup unsulphured molasses
12 - 1 cup hot water

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal.
02 - Whisk together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with brown sugar until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat in the egg, then stir in molasses until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding gently to combine.
06 - Stir in hot water until batter is smooth and uniform.
07 - Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 12 squares to serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's moist and tender without being finicky, staying soft for days if you can resist eating it.
  • The spice blend is perfectly balanced, warming without being overwhelming.
  • You can throw it together in under an hour and have something that feels deeply thoughtful.
02 -
  • Using hot water sounds strange but it actually creates the signature moist crumb, not a dry one.
  • Don't skip the parchment paper or you'll be scraping gingerbread off the pan for longer than the baking took.
  • The molasses must be unsulphured, which has a cleaner, deeper flavor than sulphured versions.
03 -
  • If you want extra texture, fold in half a cup of raisins or diced candied ginger after combining the wet and dry ingredients.
  • Using an electric mixer for the butter and brown sugar makes a real difference in the final crumb, though a wooden spoon works if that's what you have.

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