This fresh ginger cake is irresistibly moist with a powerful ginger kick from the freshly grated ginger. If you love the fresh ginger flavor and want a cake recipe with incredible spiced flavor and zing, this cake is your dream come true!
Jump to:
🌟Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Want to make it extra special? Try this chocolate ginger cake with coconut & pecans.
🧾Ingredients in This Recipe
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍰 Pro Tip
When baking in a glass pan, the temperature should be 25 degrees higher, and will take up to 10 minutes longer – this recipe has been tested in both an 8x8 glass pan and a 9x9 non-stick pan. The cook times for this recipe are written for a non-stick, so please adjust accordingly if using a glass pan.
👩🍳How to Make This Recipe
📋Recipe FAQs
If the temperature of your oven is too high, then your ginger cake will rise far too quickly. It will rise, then fall in the middle as the batter hasn't had time to cook to sustain the shape. Cake sinking also occurs if you open the oven door during the rising process and thus alter the temperature of the oven.
Yes! Mincing ginger yields the smoothest texture possible for this cake. Both mincing and grating allow the taste and aroma of the ginger to be released when baking.
There is a significant difference in potency between ground ginger and grated ginger. Grated ginger is around 70% water, so the ginger taste is mild and it can be used as-is in cooking. Ground ginger powder has been dried and the intensity of ginger flavor is about 10-20 times more enhanced than raw ginger root. This powder is commonly used in baking and is easy to overdo as it's so strong in flavor. Ground ginger also does not contain any water like fresh ginger does, so you cannot substitute one for the other in this recipe with the same results.
You can freeze your cake. It will also keep well in an airtight container for up to 1 week. To freeze, you must let your cake cool completely. Once cool, wrap in parchment paper and store in the freezer in an airtight container. Let thaw to room temperature when ready to eat again.
Gingerbread and ginger cake differ in texture and preparation. Gingerbread refers is a dense, spiced cookie or biscuit with a strong ginger flavor, usually cut into shapes and decorated. Ginger cake is a moist, soft cake that incorporates ginger and other spices for flavor.
😋 Related Recipes
These sweet desserts are the perfect indulgence to make the next time you bake!
I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to.
Fresh Ginger Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup dark molasses
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 cup freshly grated ginger
- 4 tablespoon butter melted in in a saucepan with ½ cup of water
Instructions
- Butter and flour an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Sift your flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mix your brown sugar, molasses, egg, and ginger in a large bowl.
- Add your melted butter/water mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Stir in the dry ingredients until just mixed.
- Add the batter to your baking dish*. Bake 30-35 minutes. It is ready when a toothpick comes out clean. Start checking at 28 minutes for a 9x9 pan, and at 32 minutes for 8x8.
- Let cool on a rack. Best if cooled overnight.
Kris
Thank you for this sensational recipe. It worked perfectly. The cake was moist and spicy and smelt heavenly!
I tried a recipe from another author and it overflowed all down the sides of the pan and oven floor. I don't know if it is because it was made with white sugar and molasses but it sort of acted like candy on the stovetop. The recipe was very similar to your recipe with the exception of brown sugar and the heating of the water and butter together in the pan. Anyway I was so pleased to have your recipe and have it work so well. We are at 4265' elevation and I added 2 tablespoon (3000') plus 1.5 teaspoons ( 1000') additional flour and turned the temperature up to 375 degrees F because I used a glass pan. It did fall in the middle ( no oven openers here) but that is an opportunity for more icing in our family. Yes, we made it extra rich with a cream cheese frosting it; was a birthday cake, after all.
Candice
Thank you for sharing, Kris... I really appreciate the instructions for the elevation, too. I bet someone will find that useful! Glad you love it, and enjoy!
Cary
I could eat this entire cake in one go... it's totally addicting. Loved the dusting of powder sugar on top and how fragrant the recipe is thanks to the fresh ginger.
Candice
I'm so glad you loved it, Cary... thank you for taking the time to share!
Claire
I am not much of a baker but did make this ginger root cake. I loved it THANK YOU for sharing it! This is one I will definitely be making again.Not only was fantastic warm but I found if it sat for a day the flavour was even better. My husband googled this one up and what a perfect time of year to be making it .
Candice
I'm so glad you liked it, Claire... thank you for taking the time to share!
Joy
Amazing strong fresh ginger flavor
Deliciously moist ,dense and chewy outer. I had a glut of ginger to use up, I lucked out to find this recipe, thankyou so much for sharing it
I used half /half plain and wholegrain flour and it is lovely and moist.
Candice
Thank you for sharing, Joy... I'm so glad you liked it, and I'll have to try your half/half flour!
Karen Zukor
Intensely gingery cake. If you are a ginger lover, you will love this.
(I baked it in 9x9 glass pan in a convection oven at 350 degrees. It was done at the 28 minute check.)
Phyllis Gauker
There is a farmers market next door to my husband's doctor's office, so I've asked him to buy me ginger root each month when he goes to the doctor. The price there is about 1 /4 of supermarket prices. Consequently, I had quite a surplus so looked for recipes that called for the real thing (as opposed to dried ground ginger) and found your cake recipe! I am eating it now, warm, without powdered sugar on top, just with a glass of water. It needs nothing. It is just perfect alone. It is NOT ginger bread (all recipes have other spices so what we think of as ginger bread is pretty much spice cake) but instead a true ginger cake. I used a ninja small container prep machine to grind the ginger in seconds. I had a very old jar of molasses with exactly a half cup in it, so I was set to bake. Glad I did.
Candice
Sounds like you found a great source, Phyllis! I'm so happy to hear you love it. It definitely isn't gingerbread, and I'm glad you recognize that. I've never used anything to help me grind the ginger before since I was worried it would release too much water. Thank you for sharing that it worked for you. I'm going to have to give it a try!
Jane Bell
Never made a fresh ginger cake before, Absolutely delicious cake I double the mixture and cooked half in a loaf tin 30minute to cook and half in a glass square dish 35 minutes. both tasted amazing I had to eat a slice warm oh!!! Gorgeous so glad I tried this recipe
Candice
So glad you found it and liked it, Jane. Thank you for taking the time to share... enjoy!
Barry
Looks to be really good. By the way, molasses does not have heme iron . . .Heme iron = the type found predominantly in blood and muscle. Non-heme iron = the type that predominates in plants. But it does have bioavailable iron.
Candice
Thank you for sharing that, Barry!