Fresh ginger, molasses & apple loaf cake – dark, warmly spiced with fresh ginger and not too sweet, studded with tender apple & topped with a lemon glaze. Jump to Recipe
Somehow in the last few weeks, winter has quietly settled in around us – the temperatures gradually creeping down and the days shortening. Yesterday I left for university in the dark, and got back in the dark, missing any inch of sunlight that might have occurred. It means I now wear my puffer jacket around far too often, last year’s single duvet has somehow found its way on top of my double for extra snuggle factor and my car windows are perpetually fogged up, so I spend that first five minutes with the air-con blasting, peering through the small clear areas in my windscreen. In the wet and cold (I don’t think we have had a dry day for a week), everything is getting that grey, wintery tinge that makes you just want to curl up inside your duvet and not come out until spring green starts appearing. I got up and opened the door this morning to a sea of fog, shrouding the cars and the trees in a ghostly, dementor-brought haze, the street lights like little hazy bulbs of yellow dangling in space.
Warming food is an essential. There is something about winter that changes our appetites – I’m suddenly like “give me ALL the pasta” – curries, soups, warm breads, and general carbs also fit in that category. Who wants to eat a cold salad when you can see your breath outside?! In saying that, I must admit that the need for all warm things never seems to rule out ice cream.
For weekend baking with torrential rain outside the windows (though we weren’t hit nearly as hard as Sydney here in Melbourne), I wanted a warming cake. The sort of cake that wasn’t too challenging, the sort you could sit down with a slice and a cup of tea or coffee and feel quite content, hidden from the wrath of the weather. The sort that wasn’t too pretentious either – no layers or staged components, not even requiring a stand mixer or anything but a bowl, a whisk and your oven. I decided on fresh ginger – the warm spiciness with a flavour much fresher and sharper than the ground variety.
Gingerbread is everywhere, in a multitude of combinations – with apples and pears, coconut and dates, with different spice mixtures, with walnuts and pecans, sometimes sultanas, maybe molasses or treacle or golden syrup. Maybe an upside down cake, or with grated apple. Or a spiced compote, cooked long and slow, served warm on the side with a spoon of mascarpone or ice cream. A loaf or a cake – I couldn’t decide. Icing was another question – is yet more salted caramel just too much salted caramel? Can you ever have too much salted caramel? A lemon glaze, or none at all – left unadorned with a final dusting of icing sugar might be all it needed.
I settled on a recipe adapted from the Violet Bakery in London and David Lebovitz in Paris (link)- drawn to the quantity of fresh ginger and the almost savoury, dark richness of molasses. It was a winner. Dark, moist and not too sweet, studded with tender chunks of apple, and with a thin, crackly topping of a bright lemon glaze, it delivers a hit of fresh ginger, lightly scented with cinnamon and cloves. Strips of lemon zest and glace ginger brought a hint of warmth and sunlight indoors, and it is the sort of cake I struggle to stop at once slice. I can’t wait until later this morning when I walk down the road for my takeaway extra-hot flat white and a thick slice of left over loaf cake – it seems to improve over the next 1-2 days as well.
Although it is a loaf shape, be warned that it is definitely a cake, not a bread. It has a tender, moist crumb ill-suited to toasting, and isn’t the sort of quick gingerbread you might warm and smear with butter. It’s really a cake – just in loaf form.
Other warm baking successes this week:
– This Spiced Carrot Baked Oatmeal with Maple Roasted Pecans from Gather & Feast. My introduction to baked oats, warm and steaming, like a slightly less sweet carrot cake topped with vanilla yogurt. I’m sold.
– This Sunday night slow-cooked shredded beef brisket ragu from RecipeTin Eats – I made the sauce over the weekend and served it up the next night, tossed with thick strands of parpadelle and served with roasted broccolini and homemade ciabatta straight from the oven. Oh, and hot chocolate pudding to finish off. Comfort food central!
- 130 g peeled fresh ginger , cut into slices (weight is once it has been peeled).
- 150 g castor sugar (3/4 cup)
- 200 g vegetable oil (I used canola oil) - (1 cup)
- 250 g molasses (3/4 cup)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 225 ml boiling water (just under 1 cup - I did 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon)
- 300 g plain flour (2 cups- try to weigh as this varies depending on type of flour/packing).
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 eggs , lightly beaten
- 1 medium green apple , peeled and cut into 1cm chunks.
- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice , enough to form a smooth paste
-
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 23 x 13 cm loaf tin.
-
Blitz the fresh ginger in a food processor until very finely chopped
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil and molasses- this will be a bit tricky as it will want to separate so doesn’t have to be perfect.
-
In a small bowl, combine the boiling water with the baking soda. Stir to dissolve, then add to the sugar mixture. Whisk to fully combine - it will bubble up (this time it should be much easier to whisk).
-
Add the finely chopped ginger and whisk to combine.
-
Sift over the flour, cinnamon and cloves. Stir to just combine.
-
Add the lightly beaten eggs and stir to just combine.
-
Fold in the chopped apple.
-
Pour into the loaf tin. Bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 15, or until a skewer inserted comes out just clean.
-
Cool in tin for 15 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
-
Gradually add the lemon juice to the icing sugar, stirring as you go to form a thick white paste. Be careful as it goes too runny very quickly (but if it does, you can always add a bit more icing sugar.
-
Spoon over the loaf, gently spreading it over the surface and dripping it off the edges.
I think warming food is the BEST part about winter! I love love love this gorgeous cake you’ve whipped up. Ginger is such a beautiful flavour! Pinned x
Thanks so much Jess! Definitely agree with you there xx
Ah, so pretty Claudia! The snow white lemon icing contrasts so beautifully with the dark, molasses-y cake -definitely think lemon icing was a good call on this cake! And your photos have captured how soft and tender the crumb is. I could so eat a slice of this right now. x
Thanks so much Hannah!! The lemon icing was great – I didn’t initially think the lemon and ginger would be the best, but it was actually a lovely fresh, tangy contrast to the rich ginger (and looked great too haha!). Hope you are well xx
It’s starting to get warm over here, but I would gladly have this warm spiced cake anytime of the year! Again, your flavor combinations always impress, Claudia! Cheers girlie!
Haha I will definitely be making this again in summer Kathleen! So perfect with as morning tea (I have a massive sweet tooth!). Thanks so much xx
Such a gorgeous loaf! Love the contrasting colors here. Yum!
Thanks Kiran! 🙂
Hi Claudia
It looks yummy I need to eat slice now!!
I will be baking this one Off to the shops for ingredients to-morrow
Weather here abit like Melbourne ,not to cold yet
Di
Thanks Di! Would love to know how it turns out for you! I’m going to have to make it again when I am home for holidays soon – Mum and Dad were disappointed to miss out back in Auckland!! x
This is such a gorgeous cake and against with that dark blue backdrop makes it pop – so so so pretty! I’m pinning this for when the weather changes here and I want warming cake too – this sounds perfect!
Thanks so much Sarah! Its funny, its actually a light black sheet of card, but for some reason it looks dark blue in most of my photos – which I actually like better haha! Would love to know what you think if you ever give it a go 🙂
I love ginger cake so much! It’s definitely one of my absolute favourite cakes. Your recipe with apple and molasses sounds amazing Claudia, and the photos are so beautiful. I can’t wait to try it 🙂 pinned! <3
Oh if you are a ginger lover you definitely need to try it Harriet! The fresh ginger flavour is absolutely gorgeous – I don’t think I will be able to go back to dried ground ginger again. Thanks so much girl! xx
Love all of these flavors! Beautiful loaf cake!
Thanks so much Sabrina!!
This looks so beautifully moist and sticky, Claudia, just how a ginger cake should be! I love your description of the onset of winter, it’s supposed to be summer here but it doesn’t feel like it! 🙁 xx
Thanks Louise! It was super moist, I couldn’t get enough haha! Hopefully summer arrives for you soon… xx
Hello,
I have developed a love of ginger, particularly in cakes. This one looks deliciously comforting.
I have made my ginger cakes with treacle (as was the recipe) and wondered whether I could substitute that for the molasses. You see I don’t have molasses, and as I am the only one who eats ginger cake in this household, I don’t really want to buy it just for one loaf cake.
Your thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.
Love your blog,
Angela
Hi Angela!
Thank you! I am sure you could substitute the molasses for treacle. It wouldn’t have exactly the same flavour, but it would still taste wonderful. Fair enough for not wanting to buy it for one cake! Would love to know how it turns out for you. Thanks again!
Hi,
Just stumbled on this recipe. I followed the directions (and added a handful of chopped walnuts and a tablespoon of chopped crystallized ginger).
When I poured the batter into the loaf pan, it filled it nearly to the top.
Is that how it was when you made it?
(I chickened out and used an 8 inch (20 cm) square pan instead.
Hi Laurie! Sorry about the late reply, I’ve been away travelling for the last few weeks. Hmm, mine is usually pretty full but not up to the top.. maybe our loaf pans are slightly different? If you do want to make it in the loaf tin and are worried about it overflowing, I would take out half a cup of batter and cook it as a separate cupcake or something. How did it go in the square pan? Love the addition of walnuts as well!
Thanks for the reply. It nearly filled the 8″ pan too, but it baked up well. I served it with some lemon yogurt. I’m going to try making all cupcakes next time.
Hi! I made this cake this evening, and I’m not sure what I did wrong, but when I tried to turn it out of the tin, it ripped apart. It’s as if it’s too moist to hold its shape. Sticking to the tin is never a problem for me, until now. Any suggestions?
The flavor is AMAZING though, omg. I’m eating the chunks that got stuck in the pan.
Hi Sara – I’m so sorry to hear that happened! I do find that it is quite a moist loaf too. Did you line the pan with baking paper? That will stop it sticking. Then maybe it just needed a little longer baking time. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Oooo could i use Treacle instead of molasses..or I guess maybe too thick?
Hi Andrea! Treacle is pretty much the UK version of molasses, so yes you could definitely substitute treacle here. Just not golden syrup, which is different again, or black strap molasses, which is much more bitter! Hope that helps.
Just made this cake and it is ridiculously delicious. The lemon glaze definitely adds a nice spark to the depth of the cake. Really like the gobs of fresh ginger it calls for. It’s been a cold November week here in the Atlantic Provinces and this cake is perfect.