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–+ servings
Sliced gingerbread stout cake on a plate surrounded by fresh ginger root, candied ginger, and ground ginger.
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Gingerbread Stout Cake

This dark robust flavored spice cake uses three types of ginger, along with an array of warm wintery spices, for an extra punch of flavor. The stout beer in the cake adds a deep layer of bitterness that plays well with the molasses and the spices. Bake the cake in tall loaf pan if you have one. If you have a more standard size loaf pan just pour the batter so it only goes to about 3/4 the height of the pan. Any leftover batter should be baked off in a muffin tin for a chef’s treat. Keep in mind smaller pans might need less time to bake, which is why the bake time has a wide range in this recipe.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword beer, christmas, gingerbread, holiday
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8
Calories 656kcal
Author Irvin

Equipment

  • 9 x 5 x 4 in loaf pan

Ingredients

Cake batter

  • 1 cup stout beer like Guinness beer
  • 3/4 cup molasses not blackstrap
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger about 1-inch peeled gingerroot
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature, 115 g
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted, 175 g
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To finish

  • 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 5 x 4 inch loaf pan with cooking oil. Line the pan with parchment paper, making sure the long side of the pan has about 1-inch of overhanging paper.
    Spray the loaf pan with cooking oil, then line with parchment paper.
  • Place the stout beer and molasses in a medium saucepan. Heat until the liquid starts to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Set aside.
    Heat stout beer and molasses and then stir in baking soda.
  • Place the oil, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, salt, nutmeg, cardamom, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Stir together with a whisk until uniform in color.
    Place spices and oil in bowl and mix together.
  • Add the brown sugar stir until it is incorporated. Add the eggs and repeat.
    Add brown sugar, then eggs, stirring between additions.
  • Stir in the grated ginger, then pour in the molasses and stout liquid.
    Stir in grated ginger, then add the molasses beer mixture.
  • Stir in the baking powder then the flour.
    Add the baking powder, then the flour.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. If you have an instant read thermometer the center of the cake should be 185°F.
    Pour batter into prepared pan.
  • Let the loaf cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes then remove it from the pan by using the overhanging parchment paper. Place the cake on a wire rack until it’s completely cool.
  • While the cake is cooling, making the cream cheese frosting by placing cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Sift the powdered sugar over it. Don't skip sifting! It seems fussy, but powdered sugar clumps and once you have a clump in the frosting it is difficult to get out. Add the vanilla extract.
    Place the cream cheese in the pan and then sift the powdered sugar over it.
  • Mix until the powdered sugar is absorbed and the frosting is creamy and smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel to keep it from drying out until use.
    mix the powdered sugar with the cream cheese and vanilla extract until smooth.
  • Once the cake has completely cooled to room temperature, frost the top of the cake with a butter knife or small offset spatula. Sprinkle the top with the crysallized ginger.
    Frost the top of the cake, then sprinkle the chopped crystallized ginger on top.

Notes

Adapted from David Lebovitz's site who adapted the recipe from Claudia Fleming's The Last Course cookbook, which was 

Nutrition

Calories: 656kcal