Brown Sugar Ginger Cake

A beautifully golden loaf cake super moist by the ginger syrup that is infused while the cake is hot. Sweet and spicy, it's simply delectable! It can be frozen and lasts for days.

We can call this a cake, a loaf cake, even a pound cake (though it contains milk which dense pound cakes usually do not) because it is a simple, almost plain vanilla cake if you leave the ginger syrup out. 

But really, why on earth would you? 

A simple cake with a simple ginger syrup is just perfect. Especially if the said syrup is poured on the cake while still hot and it seeps inside, leaving a super moist crumb and trickles of sweet and spicy goodness inside. 

Ingredients for the cake and syrup:

As you can see above, this cake recipe uses regular, every day, pantry staples. 

• Brown sugar: being the star of this cake, I want to clarify that any type of brown sugar can be used. I usually favor a darker one, but lately, I haven't been able to find it, so light sugar it is. The difference is in the depth of flavor. I find that darker sugar has a more pronounced caramel/molasses flavor, and that translated to the cake. But they all work. 
• Milk: Whole, low fat, and almond milk, they all work. 

• The ginger syrup has 3 ingredients: honey, water and fresh ginger (image above). If you're a ginger and honey fan like I am, they are regular pantry staples for you too. 

There's not much to making this part of the recipe. Simply boil the three ingredients until they thicken and become syrupy. 

There are no complicated steps in this brown sugar ginger cake. 

• It's a simple butter cake where after creaming butter and sugar the eggs are added one at a time (image above, left).
• Then the dry ingredients are added alternating with the milk (image above, center). 
• After it is all well mixed and no lumps remain, the batter is poured into the prepared loaf pan (image above, right). 

How to add the ginger syrup:

This part is easy and it gives this loaf cake a lot of extra moisture and a sharp but sweet ginger flavor. 

I do it while the cake is still super hot and in the pan. 

1. Poking: I use a brochette stick (regular bamboo sticks) or my cake thermometer (image above). It is thick enough to make a good hole without tearing the cake surface too much. Poke the whole surface for better results. 
2. Add syrup: you can use a jar and pour it (image below, left). It will flow to the sides. You can bring it back to the top with a spoon and redistribute it again, or aid yourself with a spoon/spatula while slowly pouring the syrup so that most of it remains in the center of the cake. Or you can use a brush and patiently apply the syrup to the whole surface (image below, right). 

I do it both ways. First I pour half the syrup and let it flow to the sides, and then brush the rest to make sure the whole surface is covered in this sticky and fantastic ginger honey syrup. 

This recipe is very old-fashioned, makes just one loaf and has that slight caramel tone but is really a very plain flavor that allows for add-ons like nuts, dried fruits or chopped chocolate to be added.

You can also glaze it after adding the syrup, letting it cool and removing it from the pan. I suggest a simple powdered sugar glaze with some of the ginger syrup as the liquid part. 

Other recipes you might like:
Vanilla Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
Blueberry Applesauce Pecan Bread
Apple Walnut Loaf Cake
Lemon Pound Loaf Cake
Brown Butter Cake
Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it.
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Brown Sugar Ginger Loaf

★★★★★ 5 from 14 reviews

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 45
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Cakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: International

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Description

A beautifully golden Brown Sugar Ginger Loaf cake super moist by the syrup that is infused while the cake is hot.

Sweet and spicy, it's simply delectable! It can be frozen and lasts for days.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the brown sugar loaf cake:

• ⅓ cup (75g) unsalted butter, at room tº
• ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar (dark brown sugar works also)
• 2 eggs, at room t°
• 1 ¾ cups (250g) all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup (170g) milk
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Ginger Honey syrup:

• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup water
• ½ oz fresh, peeled ginger, chopped or sliced

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Instructions

For the brown sugar loaf cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Butter a medium loaf pan, 8x4-inches or similar.
3. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Add to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with milk and vanilla in two additions.
7. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. It will become shiny on top.
8. Transfer to rack, poke surface of loaf with a wooden brochette skewer, cake thermometer or similar, and pour ½ of the honey syrup on top of hot cake. Brush the remaining half so that all top surface is well covered.
9. Let cool before removing from pan. If the sides are stuck from the syrup, run a smooth bladed knife around the edges so that it unmolds without breaking.

For the Ginger Honey Syrup:

1. Put three ingredients in a small saucepan, cover and let boil for about 5 minutes. It depends a lot on how thick you want the syrup.
2. Turn off heat and let ginger cool in the syrup.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room t° when you want to use or microwave for 20 seconds or so before pouring onto cake.

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Notes

Tips & tricks for making this recipe:

• Brown sugar: being the star of this cake, I want to clarify that any type of brown sugar can be used. I usually favor a darker one, but lately, I haven't been able to find it, so light sugar it is. The difference is in the depth of flavor. I find that darker sugar has a more pronounced caramel/molasses flavor, and that translated to the cake. But they all work.
• Milk: Whole, low fat, and almond milk, they all work.
• Bundt or round cake: double the recipe and use a 10-cup bundt cake pan or 9-inch round one.
• Syrup: you can add the room t° syrup to a hot cake or a hot syrup on a room t° cake. That way it will seep and infuse the cake better.
• Storing: the cake can be frozen (well wrapped) or kept at room t° for 2 days, well wrapped.

Keywords: brown sugar cake, brown sugar ginger loaf

adapted from The Pocket Cookbook, by Elizabeth Woody from Mc Call's magazine staff

Paula Montenegro

I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.