Einkorn Gingerbread Cake With Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing

I love Gingerbread….whether it is cookies, cupcakes, or cakes, I adore them. Maybe it is the molasses in the mix or maybe it is the spices… Whatever it may be, I love just love it. The depth of flavor from the spices and the deep rich flavor of the molasses is a match made in dessert heaven.

I remember making gingerbread with my mom as a kid and the love of the favorable dessert has stuck with me ever since. It is so warming and delightful. I love how the aromas fill our home and just make the whole house smell so delicious.

Now, I have to say that the pairing of the spice, molasses, and vanilla cream cheese frosting is absolutely addictive. It will be very hard to muster up the courage to just eat one piece. This cake goes rather quickly in our house and when you make this you will see why.

So let’s get started.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups einkorn all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup unsalted butter – room temp
1/2 cup organic cane sugar ( you can use what you have on hand)
1 egg – room temp
1/2 cup molasses ( I use blackstrap because it is what I ALWAYS have on hand)
1 cup hot water

FROSTING:

1/2 cup unsalted butter – room temp
1/2 cup cream cheese – room temp
3/4 cup powdered sugar – sifted (more if needed)
2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Line a 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Make sure to leave a bit of overhang so you can easily lift the cake out later.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Mix really well so you don’t get a clump of baking soda in the batter. You can also sift the ingredients together and then mix with a whisk.
3. In a seperate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffly. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the egg and mix together until well combined.
5. Add the molasses and mix well.
6. Slowly add in the hot water while mixing to combine well.
7. Add in the flour mixture in about two batches. Mix until almost combined. You may see a bit of flour mixture left on the sides. Use a spatula to combine the mixture the rest of the way so you don’t over mix the batter. The batter will be thick but spreadable.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread out evenly.
9. Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes OR until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
10. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool you can remove the parchment paper.
11. When the cake is cool combine the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and beat together until well mixed and creamy/smooth. Add the powdered sugar in a few batches mixing inbetween additions to create a smooth frosting. Add in the vanilla and mix together well. The frosting should be thick but spreadable.
12. Once your cake is completely cool you can add the cake to a platter and frost the top of the cake.

• Make sure to store the cake in an airtight container up to 5 days. You can also store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 1/2 weeks.
• You can double this recipe if you want a larger double layer cake and frosting.
• You can add 1 – 2 tbsp chocolate powder for a chocolate frosting, 1 tsp plus 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder for a mocha style frosting, 1/2 tsp each of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves for a spiced frosting. Your powdered sugar additions will vary depending on the other addition of chocolate powder, coffee powder, or spices you add to the frosting so you may add more or less to get the consistency right. If you need extra liquid to help you can add a bit of milk a little at a time.
• You can use a 9×9 inch pan if you want a thinner style cake as the 8×8 inch cake is more thick and holds up better to the frosting, in my opinion, but both work very well.
• If you don’t have einkorn or can not find einkorn you can use plain all purpose flour. You may have to tweak the flour to liquid ratios to get the consistency right. I would start with 2 cups and go from there if you are using all purpose flour. You can always add more if needed. Einkorn doesn’t absorb liquid as well as all purpose flour does. You may need to add a bit more liquid to the mix if you use 2 1/2 cups regular all purpose flour. So be mindfull of that.
• If your water is not hot but more of a luke warm then your butter may seize up and become clumpy. This is ok and it will even out and become smooth once you add in your flour. No worries.
• If you would like to order einkorn flour you can find it at publix, amazon, or you can order it straight from the jovial website.