Gingerbread Bundt Cake

This Gingerbread Bundt Cake is moist and flavorful but not too molasses-heavy. Serve it right out of the oven, dust it with powdered sugar or drizzle the Spiced Bourbon Glaze over it.

I have had a recipe for gingerbread with pears rolling around my noggin for some time. I can’t explain why, but I think pears and gingerbread are made to go together. Am I the only one who thinks that way?

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use golden syrup for the best gingerbread bundt cake

In this gingerbread bundt cake, molasses shares the spotlight with golden syrup for a milder, more caramel-ly flavor.

If you live outside of the U.K., Australia, or New Zealand, you might be unfamiliar with golden syrup. Have no fear, it is easily made, and you’ll find many uses! There are a couple of recipes, but I use water, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with a pinch of either lemon juice or citric acid. That’s it!

It is not easily substituted, so do take the time to make it for this gingerbread bundt cake.

Golden Syrup is thicker than corn syrup and has a lovely buttery caramel flavor from the slow cooking of the sugars. While corn syrup is made from corn and is rather tasteless, golden syrup is made from sugar. The slow cooking of the sugars is what imparts the caramel flavor.

Compared to maple syrup, golden syrup is milder without the strong ‘maple’ flavor.

The closest substitute for golden syrup is honey in thickness and mild flavor. That said, I encourage you to try this recipe with golden syrup.

use this easy recipe to make golden syrup for this gingerbread cake

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon citric acid or 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

instructions:

Combine both sugars and water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring gently. Gently stir the lemon juice or citric acid into the boiling sugar/water. Turn the heat to low and let the mixture cook for 40 minutes. Avoid the urge to stir! You are looking for a golden and thick syrup after 40 minutes of cooking. If it is still on the thin side, check it in five-minute increments. If it gets too thick, you can thin it with water, 1 teaspoon at a time. When it is the consistency of warm honey, remove it from the heat and store it in a glass jar.

pears are optional in this gingerbread bundt cake, but…

While I add pears to my gingerbread bundt cake, you surely don’t need to. This cake is moist enough that you don’t need the added moisture from the pears. The pears just add something I can’t put into words, but that fills a hole in my gingerbread heart. 🤎

and then, there is the spiced bourbon glaze option

And while we are discussing things you can do, but don’t need to, let’s talk about the Spiced Bourbon Glaze. Sure, it is delicious and easy to make, but I don’t think this gingerbread bundt cake NEEDS it! That said, I don’t like ice cream on my cake or my pie; I’m a bit of a purist. So, do with this what you will. If you feel the need to glaze, then, by all means, go for it!

I mix the glaze and have it available for those who want it. That way, I can drizzle it over their piece and leave mine just how I like it! I’m not a diva, but if I’m doing the baking…

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about buttermilk

I use buttermilk for a more tender Gingerbread Bundt Cake.

I REALLY like to bake with buttermilk. In scientific terms, the acidity in the buttermilk breaks down the long strands of protein and gluten in the batter. It also helps counteract the metallic taste that can accompany baking soda.

That means that swapping out your milk or water for buttermilk results in a lighter and more tender baked goodie.

To that end, I like to always have buttermilk on hand. But it will go bad in the refrigerator eventually. My solution is to freeze half-cup portions of buttermilk. These freezer pods, especially the half-cup one, get used regularly in my kitchen.

The buttermilk thaws just fine; you’ll want to mix it a bit as it will separate.

weighing flour

For baked goods, I have realized that weighing my dry ingredients (especially the flour) really does make a difference in the final product. My experience is that when I just scoop and level, I end up with more flour than the recipe intended and, thus, a drier and less light baked goodie.

A kitchen scale is not an expensive tool. I’ve used this $18 scale for the past four and a half years. I use it regularly, not only for baking but also for shipping.

will you be giving treats from your kitchen as gifts this Christmas?

Make sure you pop over to nab these free, printable gift tags to attach to your home-baked treat. There are four designs on each sheet. Just print, cut them out, and attach them to your food gift.

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

This Gingerbread Bundt Cake is moist and flavorful but not too molasses-heavy. Serve it right out of the oven, dust it with powdered sugar or drizzle the Spiced Bourbon Glaze over it.

4.58 from 7 votes

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Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Baking Recipes + Tips

Cuisine American

Servings 16

Calories 368 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Gingerbread Bundt Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 300 g
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 170g
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar packed
• 2 large egss at room temperature
• 1/4 cup golden syrup
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup diced pears 2-3 pears, more unripe than too ripe.

Spiced Bourbon Glaze

• 1 cup sifted powder sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of cloves
• 1 tablespoon of bourbon or dark rum
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 2 tablespoons milk

Golden Syrup

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon citric acid or 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions

 

for bundt cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Grease a 10 to 12-inch bundt pan, ensuring you get in all the cracks and crevices.
• In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until fluffy, about three minutes.
• While the butter and sugar are mixing, combine the flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Whisk the ingredients well to combine.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Add molasses, golden syrup, vanilla extract, and grated ginger and stir to combine.
• Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Start and finsih with the flour. Mix until just combined.
• Gently fold in the pears.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. I like to gently tap the bottom of the pan against the counter to ensure that the batter has filled all the crevices, especially if it is a bundt pan with a heavy design. Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula.
• Bake the cake for 55 to 65 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
• If you are making the glaze, go ahead and do that while baking the cake.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it on a rack to cool further.
• Once the cake is cool, drizzle the glaze over it.

for glaze

• 1. Combine all ingredients.
• 2. The glaze should be the consistency of corn syrup.
• 3. You can test the consistency by taking a spoonful from the bowl and drizzling it back into the glaze; the drizzled glaze should leave a trail.

for golden syrup

• Combine both sugars and water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring gently.
• Gently stir the lemon juice or citric acid into the boiling sugar/water.
• Turn the heat to low and let the mixture cook for 40 minutes.
• Avoid the urge to stir!
• You are looking for a golden and thick syrup after 40 minutes of cooking. Check it in five-minute increments if it is still on the thin side.
• If it gets too thick, you can thin it with water, 1 teaspoon at a time.
• When it is the consistency of warm honey, remove it from the heat and store it in a glass jar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 368kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 211mgPotassium: 215mgFiber: 1gSugar: 50gVitamin A: 329IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 2mg

Keyword cake, Christmas, gingerbread, holidays

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