Description
Rich, warmly spiced, and unbelievably moist, this Best Molasses Cake brings deep caramel flavor and a soft, tender crumb that only gets better with time. Perfect for holidays or cozy evenings with tea, it’s a vintage classic made easy for the modern baker.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¾ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk (or ½ cup sour cream + ½ cup milk)
- ¾ cup dark unsulphured molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9-inch square pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- In a separate large bowl, mix oil, brown sugar, egg, buttermilk, molasses, and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir dry ingredients into wet until just combined—don’t overmix.
- Pour batter into the pan and smooth evenly.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Use dark molasses for best depth. Add a bit of coffee for extra richness, or top with lemon glaze or whipped cream for serving. Stores beautifully and gets better with time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: molasses cake, spice cake, old-fashioned cake, moist cake recipe, gingerbread loaf