No-Molasses Gingerbread
Submitted by dawna327
No-molasses gingerbread made with cane syrup instead, giving a milder, less bitter flavor with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Bakes in a 9-inch square pan in 30 minutes. A Southern-style classic.
YIELD
1 loafPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsMolasses-free doesn’t mean flavor-free. This gingerbread swaps molasses for cane syrup, which is lighter, sweeter, and without molasses’s characteristic sharp bitterness.
Cane syrup is a Southern pantry staple, particularly associated with Louisiana cooking. It gives the gingerbread a warm, round sweetness that lets the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves come through more clearly than a heavy molasses would allow.
The baking soda mixes into the syrup before it goes into the batter, which activates it and contributes to the cake’s even rise. Standard technique from there: cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, alternate flour and water, bake 30 minutes until clean at the center.
Baker’s Tips
- Steen’s pure cane syrup is the classic choice if you can find it. It gives this recipe its intended flavor.
- Don’t skip the 10-minute rest in the pan before cutting. Gingerbread crumbles at the corners when cut too hot.
- Dust with powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream while still warm for a simple, satisfying finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine soda and syrup, set aside.
Beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy.
Gradually add sugar, beating well.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Stir in syrup mixture.
Combine flour and next 4 ingredients, add to butter mixture alternately with water, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Mix after each addition.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 inch square pan.
Bake at 350℉ (180℃) F for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on a wire rack at least 10 minutes before serving.
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