If you love anything gingerbread spiced, you NEED to try this molasses cake! It’s seriously SO soft and moist, packed with rich molasses and warm gingerbread spices, then topped with a silky butterscotch molasses sauce that takes it to a whole other level! It’s easy, cozy, and the perfect dessert for fall or the holidays!
Developing This Recipe
I wanted this recipe to be simple but still have BIG flavor. I started with my gingerbread layer cake recipe as the base, but wanted a deeper molasses flavor and that beautiful, rich molasses color, so I increased the amount of molasses. I was a little worried I had gone overboard (with just over half a cup molasses in the recipe!), but once it went to the taste testers, they agreed that if you’re making a molasses cake, you want the molasses flavor to shine without being overwhelming, and this cake hit the spot!
For the topping, I took inspiration from my date cake and sticky toffee pudding recipes. I loved the idea of a simple, buttery butterscotch sauce, but wanted to give it a little more oomph to complement the cake. So I added molasses and some extra warm spices, and I’m SO glad I did because it honestly takes this cake to another level!
The combination turned out even better than I expected. The rich, old fashioned molasses cake with that warm, buttery butterscotch molasses sauce just works so well together, and I love that the whole recipe is still really simple to make. Perfect for cooler weather, when cozy spice cakes are especially comforting, and the holiday season!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
SO soft and moist: This cake has the perfect soft, tender texture. It’s probably one of the softest cakes I’ve made!
Rich molasses flavor: It has that deep, rich molasses flavor without being overwhelming.
Warm and cozy: Packed with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg for the perfect gingerbread spice.
The sauce takes it up a notch: The warm butterscotch molasses sauce adds even more rich, buttery flavor and pairs SO well with the cake.
Easy to make: No complicated techniques or fancy equipment needed. No complicated frosting either, just an easy butterscotch sauce. It’s a simple cake with BIG flavor!
How to Make Molasses Cake
You can find the full list of ingredients for this molasses cake recipe in the recipe card at the end of the blog post. For easy navigation, just hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page. Here’s a quick visual breakdown of how to make it, and you’ll also find the recipe video in the recipe card below.
Molasses Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) conventional and lightly grease a 9×13-inch cake pan. Line the pan lengthways with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides to make it easier to lift the cake out later. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Using a whisk, mix until well combined and the spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, combine light brown sugar, vegetable oil, molasses, large eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
Add the pre-sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold together using a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. The batter will be quite thick at this stage, which is completely normal.
Pour the hot coffee into the cake batter and using a whisk, mix until smooth and just combined. Again, be careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any large air bubbles.
Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Carefully run a thin knife along the edges without parchment paper, then use the parchment overhang to lift the cake out and place it on a wire rack. You can also leave the cake in the pan and serve it directly from there if you prefer. In the meantime, prepare the butterscotch molasses sauce.
Butterscotch Molasses Sauce
While the cake cools, place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add light brown sugar, molasses, heavy cream, vanilla, ground ginger, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined.
Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then continue boiling for a few minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove from the heat and add the cold cubed butter. Stir until the butter has completely melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
Pour the sauce into a heatproof bowl and allow it to cool slightly and thicken.
How To Store Molasses Cake
Store the molasses cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The cake can also be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week, but I recommend bringing it to room temperature or heating it up slightly before serving for the best texture.
The butterscotch molasses sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Gently warm it before serving.
Easy Molasses Cake (Rich & Moist)
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsps ground ginger - powdered (not fresh)
- 2 tsps ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (200 g) soft light brown sugar - firmly packed (see note 1)
- ¾ cup (165 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- ⅔ cup (210 g) blackstrap molasses - see note 2 for using light molasses
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract/essence
- ¾ cup (180 g) hot coffee - I use 1½ tsps instant espresso powder in 180g hot water. Make sure it's hot (not just warm)
Butterscotch Molasses Sauce
- ½ cup (100 g) soft light brown sugar - firmly packed (see note 1)
- ½ tbsp (9 g) blackstrap molasses
- ½ cup (120 g) heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract/essence
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger - powdered (not fresh)
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter - cold, cut into small cubes
Instructions
Molasses Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) conventional (see note 3 if using a convection oven with a fan) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch cake pan. Line the pan lengthways with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides to make it easier to lift the cake out later. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Using a whisk, mix until well combined and the spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, combine light brown sugar, vegetable oil, molasses, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
- Add the pre-sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold together using a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. The batter will be quite thick at this stage, which is completely normal.
- Pour the hot coffee into the cake batter and using a whisk, mix until smooth and just combined. Again, be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any large air bubbles.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Carefully run a thin knife along the edges without parchment paper, then use the parchment overhang to lift the cake out. You can also leave the cake in the pan and serve it directly from there if you prefer. In the meantime, prepare the butterscotch molasses sauce.
Butterscotch Molasses Sauce
- While the cake cools, place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add light brown sugar, molasses, heavy cream, vanilla, ground ginger, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined.
- Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then continue boiling for a few minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from the heat and add the cold cubed butter. Stir until the butter has completely melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Pour the sauce into a heatproof bowl and allow it to cool slightly and thicken.
- Slice the cake while it’s still slightly warm and generously drizzle the warm butterscotch molasses sauce over the top. For an extra touch, serve with a dollop of whipped cream on the side!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
