Some things:
– I sometimes think about working in a furniture store just to observe couples come in and fight over couch seat depth and textiles: a sociological study, you know? Ok… I never actually think about working in a furniture store… I’m really bad at talking about end tables and such.
– Only real adults should have to deal with fabric swatches. Seriously… what is this swatch supposed to tell me about my life? I don’t get it.
– I think that Ikea should have a bar instead of a cafeteria.
… I’m shopping for a couch… can you tell? Please send reinforcements (not fabric swatches).
– Buying a car is easier than buying a couch. I’m pretty sure this is fact.
I made this cake with far too much home decor nonsense in my brain. I came to realize that this cake is totally the best air freshener EVER. Couch shenanigans aside… (almost) all you really need is a house that smells of cake. So much can be forgiven is cake exists on pretty plates with hot coffee.
This is where satisfaction begins… in this arrangement of small bowls and measuring spoons.
I love that this recipe comes together with just two mixing bowls. No fancy stand mixer necessary. Well, no mixer needed until it comes time to make the cream cheese frosting… but even that can be twerked with just a large bowl, wooden spoon, and a good dose of elbow grease.
Welcome to where wet ingredients meet dry.
This cake is flavor PACKED. The ground ginger is bright and spicy. I want to put ginger is just about everything these days.
The molasses is deep, rich, and beautifully alluring. I love the honey sweetness paired with the delicate orange notes. This cake is everything ever.
You want to poke this. I know you do.
It’s cool. I do too.
This is just enough cream cheese frosting to generously frost the square cake aaaannnnddd sneak a few spoonfuls for yourself. Life is short… unless it’s really really long. In both instances, spoonfuls of cream cheese frosting are necessary.
It’s like I turned the lights down low to frost my cake.
That wouldn’t be weird…
Pomegranates are the magical gem equivalent in the food world. While there are no pomegranates in the cake itself, it feels like pomegranates are the only thing you could possibly decorate this cake with. Pretty/Perfect.
Spiced and moist. Decadent and humble. This is that. These are those. I love when a cake feels relevant and joyful. I love when cake makes my house smell better than my awesome pine scented candle. Air freshener meets crazy delicious.
I baked this cake in a square 8×8-inch square pan. The batter came up to fill the pan about three-quarters of the way full. Should you find that your batter fills the pan more than three-quarters of the way full, I would suggest baking this cake in a 9-inch or 10-inch round cake pan. See what works for you.
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Orange Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55-60 minutes
- Yield: 9 slices 1x
Description
A moist and deeply flavored gingerbread cake topped with decadent cream cheese frosting. If you’re making this recipe, you know what’s good.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup unsulphered molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 3/4 cup warm water
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese frosting, softened
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- big pinch of salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (plus half of a scraped vanilla bean if you’d like)
- pomegranate seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8-inch square (or 9-inch round) baking pan. Line with parchment paper and grease and flour the parchment paper. The parchment paper isn’t entirely necessary, it just makes the cake easier to remove from the pan. Set pan aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs until thick and pale. Stir in molasses, honey, and orange zest.
- Add the dry ingredients, all at once, to the wet ingredients. Stir together until entirely incorporated. Add the warm water and gently stir until entirely incorporated and the mixture is silky smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If you find that the mixture fills the pan more than three-quarters of the way full, you might consider using a larger pan (a 9 or 10-inch pan may serve your better).
- Bake cake for 35-45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes, make the cream cheese frosting.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese (yea… just the cream cheese) on medium speed. The cream cheese should be as soft and smooth as possible. Stop the mixer. Add the softened butter. Scraped down the sides of the bowl and beat the two together over medium speed until smooth and incorporated. Add one cup of powdered sugar. Blend until incorporated. Add vanilla extract (and bean, if using) and remaining cup of powdered sugar. Beat on medium high speed until frosting is smooth and silky.
- Allow cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting the cake. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds before serving.
- This cake can be stored, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
Notes
This recipe can be made gluten-free with a 1-for-1 flour blend.
178 Responses
Made this again. Wanted to test out my new metal 9×13 pan. Love this recipe, especially with the cream cheese frosting!
I bought a USA Pan brand baking pan and it’s great, but baked goods are getting caught in the corners. I’ll have to pay attention to which metal pans you use.
Searched high and low for an orange gingerbread recipe after I sampled some at a bake sale. This was the closest I found. Just made it again this year and made two tweaks: baked in a 9×13 for more of a bar result and swapped the all water for half water half orange juice. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
I made this and it was DELICIOUS, Luckily made 2, one to give away, perfection!
Is unsulphured molasses the lighter or ‘fancy’ molasses that you would use in cookies?
Yes that sounds right!
Wanted to print this… But when I checked the preview before hitting the print button, it was six whole pages! Maybe since this is an old recipe you need to reformat it?
Maybe so. It’s an old clunky site. I’m glad you checked. You might be best served to copy and paste just the recipe into a word doc!
I baked this cake yesterday and it is DELICIOUS, and yes, the pomegranate arils are perfect on it. I had an overflow problem with the 8×8 inch pan, though, even through the batter filled the pan to just 3/4 full. (After I left this comment I was able to see another comment about the same problem.) Even with this experience, though, I will try it again, probably as muffins. It’s that good.
I baked this cake yesterday and it is DELICIOUS, and yes, the pomegranate arils are perfect on it. Just a warning note: I did read the note about pan size but the batter filled the pan to 3/4 full so went ahead with it and put a pan with one-inch sides underneath it just in case. It ended up overflowing, including out of the catch-pan and onto the oven. And before it overflowed it must have risen too high because the top burned and I had to cut that part off.) Even with this experience, though, I will try it again, probably as muffins. It’s that good.
This is a wonderful holiday cake. I don’t know why I didn’t see it earlier but I did a search and I’m glad I found it. But in case anyone else searches for this and makes it, I really hope that you will revise the recipe quantities. I could tell by the quantity of ingredients that an 8X8 pan was entirely too small but the baked cake filled the 9X9 pan and there was barely room for the frosting. I’m not aware of a 10X10 pan and some smaller rectangular ones aren’t generally in one’s pantry. My suggestion would be to revise the ingredient quantities so that an 8 or 9 inch square pan would be a better fit. It’s too yummy a recipe not to tweek and get perfect.
I just made this for the third time and I feel like the baking time is way off. We got a new oven so I thought I would try again and even on convection it took 70 minutes! The edges are burned and the middle caved in. :(
I made this cake last night. I used a 9×9-inch pan and was glad I did. It made a very thick, dense, moist cake. The orange zest cuts the sweetness just right. It was a big hit, plus it made the house smell wonderful.
This was a wonderful and satisfying Winter sweet. The only change I made was to substitute dark corn syrup for the honey. I just hate honey. I used your suggestion to put pomegranate ariels on top of the frosting. I always have pomegranates in the house at this time of year and am always looking for ways to use them (besides eating them by the handful or putting them on cottage cheese), They give a tart bite that contrasts really well with the sweetness of the icing. I think I’ll make this again closer to Christmas.
In the recipe for the frosting, you say, “1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese frosting, softened” but I believe you just mean cream cheese, as the recipe in its entirely makes the frosting.
Great looking cake! Did you whisk by hand or with the whisk attachment on your mixer? How long did you cream the cream cheese,butter etc?
Either beat it with an electric hand mixer or by hand should work. Until smooth and incorporated.
Will this work as cupcakes?
Hi! This sounds great, thank you. I have 2 questions. Firstly, I would like to take this to a potluck lunch . If I double it, could I bake it in a 9x 13″ maybe? Or do you think I should just bake 2? Secondly, will the pomegranate seeds bleed on the icing? I’m the Christmas organiser so I’d rather not have to worry about putting the seeds on last minute. Thanks!
These look delicious! I have always loved a good cream cheese frosting, and your awesome pictures make me hungry. :)
Why can’t I use blackstrap molasses? It’s what I have. :(
I’m allergic to orange!! What can I subitute?? Thanks!
Hi Joy,
This looks great and I’m planning to make if for Christmas – quick question do you think this would freeze well? Also do you think that treacle would work if I can’t find molasses?
Thanks!
I made this today – amazing! The mixture filled two loaf tins perfectly and I added some smashed up roasted almonds and raisins to the mix + used 1/4 of orange juice instead of some of the water. Turned out beautifully!
I am in love with this cake. I am making it right now as we speak for Christmas Day!! I just wanted to share that I had left over orange zest so i added it to the frosting and it was amazing :) Thanks so much.
This looks amazing. I have a few other things to make, but this might be my after Christmas baking. Yum!
I just made it and the same thing happened to me. Wa surprised since it has been a long while since one of my cakes has sunken in the middle. Would love to hear troubleshooting comments if anyone has them.
Sorry, meant to put that post in the other thread above this one. Oops.
Hi all – This cake is delicious but it makes enough for a 13×9 pan – definitely way too much batter for an 8in square or 9in round. It was moist very flavorful!
Hi! I was super excited to try this recipe and super bummed that it didn’t turn out right :(. I’m wondering if the recipe was misprinted and it needs to say “baking powder” instead of “baking soda”? Basically my cake collapsed in the middle and was uncooked….any idea why? Thanks!
I had the same result!! It had a great flavor but the presentation was dreadful!!
Somehow my batter turned out better suited for a 9×13 in pan! The slightly smaller pan I baked it in (my boyfriend’s mom doesn’t own a square pan, what the what?) yielded a cake nearly 2.5 inches tall! I must have magical volume doubling powers because I also ended up with twice as much frosting than necessary. Still delicious!!
I made this tonight and it is amazing!!! Unbelievable! Almost couldn’t believe I made it. Thanks for a great recipe! I did run out of vegetable oil and was 2 tablespoons maybe more short and I didn’t notice at all! Will definitely be making this for Christmas!
I made it and accidentally added only 1/2 tsp instead of 1 2/3 tsp of baking soda. Ooops!!! However, it actually worked out well as I ended up with gingerbread ‘brownies’. They were delicious, albeit so rich that I had to cut them into 4 cm squares. Also, living in Switzerland I cannot get molasses; it was lucky then that I could buy treacle from a special expat food shop.
I really want to make this cake for my brother-in-law’s birthday party, but his girlfriend can’t eat refined sugar. Have you Joy (or anyone else) tried baking this with golden brown sugar? If so, how did it turn out?
Joy, your pics on this post are so beautiful. The cake looks like a treasure with those pomegranate jewels on top. Stunning. Thank you for this cake. PS—- good luck with the couch, my hubby and I shopped for months looking for the right one…. finally found it and we live happily ever after… <3
Joy –
one of my very good friends and I made this this weekend – it was delicious. We tweaked it a bit – we had just made some ginger syrup, and used all the strained out ginger, chopped, from the syrup in place of the ground ginger. It was marvelous. (we also drizzled some of the syrup over the non-frosted cake – yum!)
Thanks so much for your lovely recipe!
I just made this cake, it was so incredibly delicious and the recipe is perfect!! My favorite gingerbread cake now! :)
Hi Joy,
Another amazing looking cake. I just can’t get enough of your creations!
I’m attempting to bake this tomorrow but… I have an issue. A big one. Apparently molasses isn’t a big thing in Australia as I can’t seem to find it anywhere!
Do you have any suggestions on a perfect substitute?
Thanks! =)
Can you get black treacle there? That is what a lot of British people use instead of molasses. They also use it to make toffee here. Thankfully we can get molasses here in the UK, but I used treacle as well. Think it is made my Tate and Lyle who also make the delicious golden syrup used in many British baked goods.
Hi Cathy
Definitely have treacle. Should I use the same measurement required as molasses?
Thanks very much for your help!
Treacle is molasses but dark molasses. Americans have different types of molasses. You could use half a cup and then make up the rest with golden syrup. Or you could try using the whole amount with treacle. Maybe Joy would have an idea. In the recipe it says unsulphered molasses and not blackstrap. I am not sure of the difference between them, I guess it means the sulpher is removed, but not sure how it effects baking results. I think someone made a comment where she said she would be using blackstrap as she liked the taste. Lots of iron in treacle and molasses. Why not make two different batches and see what happens! I am sure Joy will be along soon to advise!
Might just do that! Thanks again!
After having nonstop thoughts of gingerbread, I finally decided to make some after seeing your recipe. It turned out great! Not too sweet, moist and added a bit of orange zest in the icing.
Now on to cinnamon rolls on the brain. Ill blame pioneer woman for that one!.. :).
I made this last night and HO MY GAH it tastes so good! Thanks for ending my lifelong quest for the best gingerbread recipe ever.
love the lighting in your photos!
Made this tonight. It was AMAZING. TRULY AMAZING. I love your recipes, you are one of the few food blogs I trust. Your stuff always comes out perfectly!
Thank you.
I just now stumbled upon your site and thought you should know that I’m in love with you…I mean it. I’m in love with IT. Anyway, thanks for all the delicious-looking stuff to make!
Pomegranates are such a neat way of pretty-ing the cake up!
Deirdre @ thekitschcook.blogspot.com
I love love love gingerbread! I am hoping to make this recipe this weekend but dislike cream cheese frosting. Any ideas or recipes for another frosting that would go well with this cake?
Soooo great! I made this little ditty for my boyfriends birthday cake ( First time ever making a home made birthday cake btw ) and it was awesome! Granted, I made a complete mess with the molasses & powdered sugar… but it was worth it…definitely worth it
Thank you!!
This looks so yummy! I will be making this…thank you!
You had me at “gingerbread”- its gotta be the best treat to sit down with a cup of smoking hot tea and eat during a cold night. Starbucks used to sell this moist, cakey gingerbread laced with candied ginger and topped with cream cheese frosting but I hated spending the amount of money they’d charge for it. Now THIS I’ll definitely be making! Maybe I’ll even add my own candied ginger.
Oh, and I don’t know much about couches seeing as I’ve never had to buy one, but I’d just go for a comfy, sturdy., well shaped couch. Don’t worry about color too much because in the long run you could always reupholster it, right? Good luck finding it!
I made your cake! And in place of the 3/4 + 2T oil…. I added 7T oil and 1/2 cup applesauce. You’d never guess the lack of oil… the cake was sill moist and chewy.
I meant 7 tablespoons oil
Oops! Didn’t read this one when I wrote my earlier question! Sorry!
Is that 7 teaspoons of oil? Or 7 Tablespoons?
as i look at your ingredients ‘shot’ above, i’m completely convinced that you know exactly what you want in the elusive couch! you will find it! yes, you will! be patient and you will be rewarded! (the first thing I did was choose the fabric I wanted…then searched for the perfect style on which to put it! still liking it after seven years!) As for this cake…….it simply screams christmas! it will be made!!!
okay, I gotta try this recipes….sounds delish!
You’re right, I TOTALLY want to poke that
I love how you decorated this with pomegranate seeds. Gingerbread is my favorite. Will try this for the holidays.
I want to make this cake and use it as the base for a pumpkin trifle. Actually I want you to make the pumpkin trifle first so I can use your recipe. Also, I just met Deb from Smitten Kitchen and I had her sign my Kitchen Aid Mixer just like you did for your friend/fan at your book signing…. I wrote about it on my blog – she was surprised. Joy, you and Smitten are my two favorite bloggers/authors!
Couch shopping should not be so hard….but my first apartment went without for 4 months while I searched. The search paid off, I still love my couch 4 years later. :)
I know lots of people love Ikea couches, but for me they are terribly uncomfortable. I stayed in two different apartments while on vacation, both with Ikea couches, and I was thankful to leave them both behind. Also those couches are not made for tall people….
And this cake has me totally intrigued – weekend to do list for sure! Good luck with the couch shopping!
Mine is IN THE OVEN!! Can’t wait to enjoy it….not even sure if I’ll be patient enough to wait for the icing part.
This cake is so inviting, I love the ingredients. I’m a huge carrot cake fan, this seems like such a nice diversion. Looking forward to trying it soon. I also need a sofa – one big enough for my husband and I to snuggle; instead of one of us sprawled on the sofa and the other miserable in the chair. Good luck.
this looks amazing! making it this weekend!
This looks absolutely spectacular! Love the little vanilla seeds in the icing. I made my own gingerbread cake today and posted about it too, but I’ll have to give yours a try the next time I have a craving! — No doubt tomorrow. Or even a few hours from now.
p.s. I absolutely love you blog. I’ve been following for three years now! Just wanted to say please keep it coming.
Mmmm, I love the combination of orange and gingerbread. That is so Christmas-y, it almost hurts. Gorgeous recipe!
Joy! My boyfriend and I bought a new couch this spring and it was the most hellish thing EVER! I knew exactly what I wanted, and we couldn’t find it, and couldn’t find it, and couldn’t find it…then there it was! And it was even on sale! We let the salesman talk us into buying a matching recliner, which doesn’t really fit into our wee apartment with the couch, but whatevs. Anyway, the couch. It ended up being BROKEN! And after months (literally, months–we bought the damn thing in March), we are finally getting a replacement couch tomorrow!
End of my rant. You’ll have a better time than I with your couch shopping, I am sure. Now I’m off to stress bake this gingery, orangey delight!
My couch shopping went like this:
hello ikea. hello couch that turns into a sleeper sofa for friends/family to pass out on when they escape Portland and come to San Diego. goodbye ikea. The whole thing took 20 minutes. And it’s a perfect couch.
I never make quick decisions like this, but maybe that’s what it takes when buying a couch.
Good Luck.
I just love this cake so very much. I just made a ginormous batch of ginger cake last week at the bakery where I work. It left me craving a sweet gingery cake that makes the house smell like cake goodness. Just haven’t gotten to making one, but this is sending me in the right direction. Good luck on that couch thing!
Joy, I made your salted caramel cheesecake for Thanksgiving, and it has already become a tradition. One of the best things I’ve made and my family is totes obsessed now
Nothing brings people together like food, and I have found a source of joy and delight in watching you evolve over the years. Your posts are inspiring and your recipes are creative and downright delicious. I also love seeing that you take pleasure in the simple things in life, and try to find the good in everyone. So thank you for being a wonderful role model to many. Enjoy your continued success, and I wish you all the best.
I want to know how you come up with the perfect thing every. single. time.
This looks so, so moist and delicious! I love anything with cream cheese frosting.
Also…couch shopping is the worst. I totally feel your pain. The last time I had to do it, I dragged my poor mom to about 10 different stores in 3 different states. Whatever you do, DON’T buy a couch from Ashley Furniture. They sent me broken merchandise and made me pay $250 to return it! I warn everyone I can about them!
Today is my birthday – this cake would be perfect :)
I agree with you about ginger. I have a ginger cookie recipe I inherited from my mother in law I will share with you in Boston. You are still coming, IhopeIhopeIhope??? But when they have just come out of the oven, the sun comes out, my back stops hurting, and I’m humbled before the Goddess of Intoxicating Aroma. Yummy!!!
I made this last night but halved the sugar & honey and found it was still plenty sweet. Thanks for such a cheerful cake!
Two pieces of couch advice:
1) Craigslist RSS feed.
2) Leather.
Ohhh… sooo yummy! Pomegranate makes me so happy. Ikea on the other hand does not. Most of the time things hold… other times they wobble and fall apart. And book shelves are a nightmare if you’re like me with big heavy textbooks… though I think your cookbooks would be comparable :)
And as far as couches go… Buy the shape you like for cheap on Craigslist and re-upholster it. I worked in a an antique shop for a while and that’s exactly what we did. with the old couches that had seen better fabric days and it’s not super hard. Drink a couple glasses of wine, and youtube an instruction video. Drink more wine while watching. Stare at the staple gun and drink more wine then go at it while keeping the red wine a safe distance away. If that’s too adventuresome I have some lovely lady friends in LA who used to work with me that can do it /show you how at a decent price also. Yay for almost custom furniture! :)
I love this post! And gingerbread! And that the person posting above me is also from Ann Arbor!
Seriously, it took me nearly a year to pick out a couch. A couch is definitely the tyrant of the living room; everything else conforms to it.
dying to make this recipe – what unsulphered molasses (not blackstrap) do you use? looking into this online and all the unsulphered molasses that I find is blackstrap. is this ingredient easy to find in a normal grocery? thanks.
I’m so making this uncomplicated and delicious looking cake this holiday season!
Sofa shopping too… to NO avail. It is such a bigger commitment than I previously thought… I keep asking myself questions like, “What will this sofa say about us?”, “How awful will it be if I manage to stain a dark gray sofa?”, “Can I see myself napping on this?”, “Why are furniture stores so cold and so awkward?”, “Why are the pillows I like an extra million dollars?”…
Best of luck and lovely recipe. Certainly going to try this.
I really really need my apartment to smell like cake. And it needs to happen tonight.
Oh my this looks stunning – I need to bake this just because and I really need a good cup to oz conversion :)
Usually I totally agree with you but I adore the IKEA cafeteria. Yum! I go out of my way just to nosh on those cheap meatballs. Just bring a flask of vodka to go with your marionberry juice. I think Maker’s would probably work too, with a splash of cola.
Well, I’ll be making this soon I hope. I wish there was an oven at my work so I could bake on downtime!
it seems to be the perfect christmas cake. love the pomegranate seeds!
I LOVE Gingerbread and nothing beats the smell of it baking. Have my shopping list ready to get ingredients for to bake one this weekend, might need to rethink recipe now… this sounds amazing :)
Possibly the oddest present I have ever received from my parents (oh, and there are stories…) was a black single seater couch from IKEA. For my birthday. Still puzzling over why, but it is rather comfortable and on the occasional (or maybe not so occasional) Sunday afternoon it makes a perfect reading-transitioning-to-napping couch.
I did feel a slight sense of kismet when I read the title of your post today, because I had just pulled a spicy honey gingerbread loaf out of my oven, and written about it! I hope you enjoyed your gorgeous looking cake, despite the couch dilemma :) really, there are few problems that can’t be solved with cream cheese frosting.
This cake looks very delicious! I can’t wait to start baking this weekend.
Joy, what’s a good substitute for the molasses?
So, so pretty. I want this.
Also, I second the couch on craigslist route. I figure with the money I save I can change out my couch more often. My husband may not be a huge fan of this plan. I’ll make him this cake to keep his mouth shut.
JOY congrats on meeting Ina and being in Ladies Home Journal!!!!!! Way cool!!!! Was reading Zoe’s blog and was like there is Joy.I love your cookbook and blog!!!! You always make me laugh. I am having a hankering for your raspberry rolls. Think I will have to make them this weekend.I always love Inas kitchen.You have had some really neat opportunities! !!! That is neat your got to meet Zoe and Ina. Kim
Sounds like the best air freshener ever and the perfect cake for this Holiday Season. Yea!
Couch shopping vs car shopping…. I agree. Car is easier though of a higher investment. hilarious how much couples argue over interior decor and furniture! Why do they do that?
Also, i just made a whole carrot cake with warm spices. I’m eyeing a sweet potato muffin recipe. Now this? It might be the next best thing. ;-)
Starbucks just brought back their gingerbread loaf. This looks 16328 times better!!! Love the pomegranite seeds :) You are a gifted baker Miss Joy!
Oh my goodness this looks wonderful.. I am making it tonight. I am recuperating from knee surgery and have sent the hubby to the store to buy organic oranges for me. I am grateful I married a guy who indulges my baking whims. He enjoys eating the results, so it’s a win win for everyone!
You have an awesome vocabulary. Really!
Man, I am so with you in the couch buying department. We just went through the process and I almost had a nervous breakdown. I mean, I’m going to be sitting/laying/sleeping/jumping/cuddling/napping on this thing for YEARS. Hours of my life will be spent on this one piece of furniture. Talk about pressure!
Also, I almost bought a white couch (they look so pretty in magazines!), but then I remembered we sometimes eat things with ketchup while sitting on couches and returned to my senses.
The good news? We picked one. We loved it. And I (hopefully) won’t have to do that again for 10 years. Good luck and happy shopping!
Ahh this is soo pretty and is right up my alley. 3/4c of molasses seems like more than most recipes…does it give it a slightly bitter taste? Or does the unsulphered molasses make a difference?
Well this looks nice.
If Glade made an air freshener that smelled like this cake, I’d totally plug it in, sister! On the daily. The gingerbread cake looks so moist and deeelicious! Good luck couch shopping – Craig’s List is how I’ve always done furniture but you have to deal with the usual CL shinanigans….hope you had a fun Thanksgiving!
I am sure the cake is delicious, but all I want to talk about is how beautiful your zested orange looks. No. Really. It is a piece of art, and I so get it.
Loving the cream cheese and gingerbread combo, but never thought of orange, love it!
I went couch shopping for the first time 2 weeks ago. It was a living nightmare but in the end, my butt now rest comfortably on a gray blue couch. This orange gingerbread looks divine btw!
THIS CAKE IS CALLING MY NAME!! I am going to bake it and eat it and love it. Maybe I’ll share some.
i’m all for cake freshener and the pom seeds are perfection!
First off…yes on Ikea bar. Second…somedays I just want to be a produce person at Whole Foods. Screw taking care of old people. Real talk! Loves.
Looks terrific — I’ll definitely be making this. However, just thought I’d float my version of cream cheese frosting: Omit the 2 cups sugar and instead add 3-4 T of maple syrup. Sweet enough, and tastes creamy and buttery without all that sugar cloying things up, IMHO.
This looks amazing! I have what may be a silly question….but just to be sure about the cloves — is it supposed to be ground cloves? Or whole?
not silly at all! ground cloves. i’ll amend the recipe!
IKEA totally needs a bar …
Hi,
Great recipe! Where can you buy unsulphered molasses? From a regular grocery store? Going to make it this weekend.
Conni
YUM! How did you know that I was thinking of a combination of orange and ginger!!
I agree – MUCH easier to pick out a car! How sad is that? This cake looks amazing and I bet it does smell divine!
Cake is a wonderful air freshener and the familiar smell of cake batter and frosting fill my home often. A world without cake is a world void of joy and love. Great recipe Joy and the pomegranates add an extra special touch.
Joy-
We have the-best-couch-ever! People come over to our house just to sit on it. It is from crate and barrel and it is pretty much the best thing that has ever come into my life (aside from kids and hubby, of course). People have literally said that it is like laying on clouds. Was it cheap…no. Was it worth every penny…hell yeah! How did we pick it, you ask? It was the one that my husband fell asleep on in the store.
Just out of curiosity, what kind of vegetable oil do you use? This cake looks wonderful!
I love gingerbread and cream cheese and I love your blog. Thank you!
Ugh! I feel ya! I am shopping for a couch too. I just wish that Oprah could send Nate over to overhaul my life because apparently there is no couch and love seat that match it right now.
a question re the honey – have you ever used lyle’s golden syrup? wonder if it could be subbed for the honey. i have a lot of it to use up and it is mild flavored. excellent on pancakes. was thinking the honey might be quite a strong flavor otherwise.
Beautiful! Chestnuts roasting on an open fire and all that jazz. Except when I think of that song, I smell gingerbread. Warm gingerbread with vanilla ice cream. Why, thank you for the recipe, Joy.
Couldn’t agree more on the sofa shopping. Makes shopping for jeans or a swimsuit look like a cakewalk (no pun intended).
This cake looks amazing. Will be making it tomorrow for a jewelry trunk show I am hosting on Thursday night. I can practically smell it now! You should come (I know I am a total stranger)…..but I live in L.A., on the Westside, we have great wine. The jewelry is from http://www.sharonkaplanjewelry.com.
Re couches, I think it is important to get one that you can stretch out on; and one that you can sleep on even better. For that you probably need one with lowish arms. I would second looking for a second hand one and then reupholster if necessary. You could always get a slipcover made.
I have been looking at molasses cookies recipes tonight, and then gingerbread so will have to have a go at this one. What about subbing butter for the oil? I bet it would be really nice with some lemon peel in it instead of the orange. Anything ginger smells divine.
Have you seen the Origins Ginger Whipped Body Cream?
this looks absolutely amazing!!
mmm love that frosting!
Ohhh my gosh. This looks gorgeous! I’ve never had real gingerbread but I think you’ve just convinced me to try it.
Yes! I just bought some Lyle’s Black Treacle at a delicatessen for the purposes of baking ma a gingerbread. Gonna for sure give your recipe a go. Talking about timing. :)
Just this summer, my husband and I went shopping to replace the couch he hated (and that was old and kitty clawed). We shopped all over. We got a great price, however, sometimes I swear we bought the SAME DANG COUCH! Ugh, yeah, not fun times.
And yes, we need to get someone started on turning that cafeteria into a bar ASAP.
This looks scrumptious! I am obsessed with pomegranate at the moment, so timing’s perfect. However there’s no oven in my tiny Parisian flat – have I mentioned this already? I have now lived here for two months (that’s two months without baking, it must be the longest stretch …ever) and now I’m getting desperate. Time to scour through your archive for no-bake cakes and treats! Have a good one, lovely Joy!
Can you go ahead and use blackstrap molasses if you cut the amount down to maybe 1/2 C.? It’s all I ever use. Thanks for the great recipe~ another fine use for pomegranate seeds!
Yes, exactly! Ikea should have a bar. This cake looks divine and would be so pretty dusted lightly with cinnamon.
Have a great day, Joy!
Ashley
I need to get up and cross-reference it, but this looks like the gingerbread bars in your book that I’ve had my eye on for ages and back in the summer, I said I need to make those for the holidays. Well, time flies and it’s about time. These bars (or those) and the frosting! sounds heavenly!
i’ve been craving something holiday-esque topped with cream cheese frosting. this looks incredible. baking asap.
and i just went through the couch drama myself…godspeed! :)
Looks like an awesome cake! Quick question — in the cream cheese frosting you say “Add one cup of powdered sugar. Blend until incorporated. Add vanilla extract (and bean, if using) and remaining flour. Beat on medium high speed until frosting is smooth and silky.” That “remaining flour” is “remaining powdered sugar,” right? I went back and looked through the recipe and can’t find any flour that was reserved…
you’re right! fixed!
this is maybe the exact thing i need to do with some of my pomegranate seeds…which my husband does not seem to understand the necessity of this time of year.
First of all, this looks AMAZING., and so right for finally actually feels like winter weather we’re having in NYC.. Yum. But on the subject of couches: Macy’s! They have a surprisingly great selection, with surprisingly great prices. I got a couch there this summer after looking everywhere, and I love it.
I’m having the same couch issue. And yes, baking is a brilliant way of procrastinating, Ikea should have bar, and a house that smells like cake makes you never want to leave.
xx
Ohhh yuuum!! I’m about to embark on furniture shopping with my man, I’ll need this cake!
I like the note you put on the bottom — hahaha ;) Good luck with couch shopping!
Can you sub fresh ginger in here? Curious if you would need more or less of it.
Also, thinking of baking this when my house gets appraised. Subliminal softening with baked goods.
hm… good question. i think you would use less fresh ginger than dry. perhaps just 1 teaspoon fresh ginger as a substitute for 2 teaspoons of dry.
I think you will need much more fresh ginger – about 6-8 times more. Dried ginger has the liquid removed, hence its more concentrated
You have GOT to stop the madness. I can’t keep up!! Pumpkin curry soup and grilled brie and cranberry cheese kept me occupied this last weekend.
Sounds amazing – I am planning to make gingerbread muffins tonight and now I”m definitely adding orange zest to the mix!
So today I was thinking about gingerbread cupcakes, and then HERE is gingerbread cake! Do you think I could put these in cupcake cups, or would it be too dense?
Gorgeous!!! And I agree… couch shopping is so stressful. I’d much rather buy a car!
No lie, I was imagining poking that cake.
The first thing that popped up in my google reader feed – beautiful! Love the pomegranate seeds on top – the color is perfect.
love the pomegranate garnish!!