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It was 3 o’clock on a Sunday afternoon and we were playing board games. It was an overcast, threatening-rain kind of German day and we were craving cozy. When my husband asked if I could make a cake to accompany our afternoon game time, 20 minutes later this cinnamon ginger spice cake was in the oven. We also had found an unopened bottle of Glühwein from last season, so we heated that on the stove and by 4 o’clock we had a house that smelled of Thanksgiving, steaming mugs of Glühwein and some early holiday tunes.
Due to the immediacy of needing to eat warm and cozy cake—and maybe some laziness—we simply dusted some confectioner’s sugar on top, but you could easily top this with a cream cheese frosting, a caramel sauce or even brush the cake with some melted butter and sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top.
You can easily halve this recipe in an 8” or 9” square or circular pan or double it in a 15” by 11” sheet pan. It is a light and simple cake, perfect for an afternoon snack or to bring to a group potluck.
Cinnamon Ginger Spice Cake
Start to finish: 1 hour
Serves: 6–8
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, or a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup mild-flavored olive oil or neutral-tasting grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease a 13” by 9” rectangular pan with butter and line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper, then grease the paper.
Place a sifter in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice and sift.
In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, vanilla, applesauce, honey, milk, orange zest and brown sugar until smooth.
Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through. It is baked through when a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake bounces back when lightly pressed.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the cake to gently release. Invert the cake, peel off parchment paper and cool on a wire rack.
(This recipe was adapted from “Simple Cake” by Odette Williams.)
