Sticky Toffee Gingerbread

Slice of gingerbread cake on a white plate topped with toffee sauce.

This festive sticky toffee gingerbread cake is perfect for the holidays! A fluffy cake flavored with ginger and molasses topped with a sweet and buttery toffee sauce. The best flavors of the season in one irresistibly cozy dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 329kcal

Author Allison Mattina

Ingredients

Gingerbread cake:

1⅓ cups (167g) all purpose flour spooned and leveled or weighed
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons ground ginger based on how strong you want the ginger flavor
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter softened
⅓ cup (75g) light or dark brown sugar packed
¼ cup (59ml) unsulphured molasses not blackstrap molasses
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup (118ml) boiling water

Toffee sauce:

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter cut into pieces
¾ cup (175ml) heavy cream
¾ cup (165g) light or dark brown sugar packed
1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
couple pinches salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Gingerbread cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly grease an 8x8 square baking pan (preferably metal) and set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar until smooth and combined. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla. Beat until well combined, scraping the bowl and beaters as needed. Add the flour mixture, beating until combined. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the boiling water. Once the batter is fully combined pour into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
Bake for 18-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool.

Toffee sauce:

In a small saucepan over medium heat bring butter, cream, brown sugar, molasses, and salt to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes, until the brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Add toffee sauce to each slice of cake right before serving.

Notes

Serving and storage

Cake should be served warm or at room temperature. The sauce should be served warm. Optional: serve topped with ice cream (we love butter pecan), whipped cream, or custard sauce.

Cake can be stored tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Sauce should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The sauce will firm up when chilled, just pop it in the microwave to thin it out.

Topping options

The cake itself is not overly sweet. This is intentional since it is topped with a sweet toffee sauce. If you're not planning on making the toffee sauce, I'd recommend topping the cake with cream cheese frosting or vanilla buttercream.

Nutrition