Recipe

Ginger and Sugarcane Molasses Cake with Orange

Name: Ginger and Sugarcane Molasses Cake with Orange
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: 240 g all-purpose wheat flour; 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon fine salt; 80 g butter at room temperature, plus a little more for the mold; 75 g brown sugar; 2 medium eggs at room temperature; 150 g fluid sugarcane molasses; 180 ml milk at room temperature; Fine zest of 1 well-washed orange

Dark, spiced sugarcane molasses cake with ginger and cinnamon, featuring orange zest, adapted from Cocina al minuto (1956). Tender and aromatic.

CiberCubaNovember 7, 2026

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Preparation20 min
Cooking55 min
Total time2 h 30 min
Servings1 loaf cake of 24 cm (8-10 slices)
DifficultyEasy

This recipe is based on the gingerbread that Nitza Villapol and Martha Martínez collected in Cocina al minuto (1956). That preparation already combined sugarcane molasses, ginger, and cinnamon, a combination very much our own due to the island's sugar tradition.

Our version adds orange zest and sets the quantities in grams for a rectangular mold of today. It is not a yeast bread, but a quick sweet bread, like a loaf cake, that rises with baking powder. It is perfect for afternoon tea with a cup of coffee or for breakfast the next day.

Method

Preheat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F), with top and bottom heat and the rack in the center. Grease a rectangular mold of about 24 x 10 x 7 cm with butter and line it with parchment paper, leaving it to overhang on the long sides for easy unmolding.
In a bowl, sift or mix well the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Wash and dry the orange. Grate it finely, only the colored part. If the molasses is very thick, warm it for a few seconds so it flows easily.
In another bowl, beat the soft butter with the brown sugar for 3 or 4 minutes, until creamy and slightly lighter in color.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.
Incorporate the sugarcane molasses and the orange zest, and beat until the cream is uniform and caramel-colored.
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Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the milk in two batches. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula or at low speed only until no traces of flour remain. Do not overbeat or the bread will come out dense. The batter is loose and thick, dark brown in color.
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Pour the batter into the prepared mold and smooth the surface with the spatula. Give the mold a couple of gentle taps against the table to eliminate large bubbles.
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Bake for between 50 and 60 minutes. The crust will become quite dark due to the molasses; that is normal. If after 35-40 minutes you see it browning too much on top, cover it with aluminum foil without pressing it down and continue baking.
Check doneness by piercing the center with a long toothpick: it should come out clean or with some dry crumbs, no wet batter. The surface should spring back when pressed gently. If you have a thermometer, the center should register about 95-98 °C (203-208 °F).
Remove the mold and let it cool for 15 minutes on a rack. Unmold by pulling the paper and let the bread cool completely on the rack, at least 1 hour, before slicing. When hot, the crumb crumbles.
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Cut into slices 2.5 to 3 cm thick with a serrated knife, using gentle movements. Serve plain or with a little butter, accompanied by coffee.
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Tips and variations

Why it turns out so dark. The sugarcane molasses colors the crumb and the crust. That deep brown tone is normal and does not mean the bread is burnt. Rely on the toothpick test, not the color.

About the molasses. Use fluid sugarcane molasses. A light cane molasses works similarly in this recipe. Very concentrated black molasses, called blackstrap, is much more bitter and is not an equivalent substitute: it changes the flavor and the color. We also do not guarantee results with honey, as it browns sooner and gives a different flavor. If your molasses is very thick, warm it for a few seconds to facilitate mixing and let it lose excess heat before incorporating it.

About the leavening. This formulation uses only baking powder, in proportion to the flour. Do not add baking soda on your own: it can give a soapy taste and darken the crumb even more.

Without glaze. The charm of this bread lies in the molasses, the ginger, and the orange. Serve it plain or, at most, with a thin layer of butter.

Storage. Wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, it keeps for 3 or 4 days at room temperature. It is even tastier the next day, as the crumb settles and the aromas integrate. You can also freeze it in slices for up to 2 months.

Documentary source: «Pan de jengibre», in Cocina al minuto (1956), by Nitza Villapol and Martha Martínez.