The holidays are my favorite time of year. I go all out with crafts, wrapping paper, gatherings – and of course, baking. My kitchen is where I find comfort amidst the crazy season. I love whipping up warm, festive treats to spread joy. This year’s showstopper is a Gingerbread Sorghum Cake.
Origins:
Sorghum syrup has a cool history dating back centuries. It comes from a sweet sorghum plant brought to America by African slaves in the 1800s.
Since then, it’s been a staple in Southern cooking – added to biscuits, BBQ, you name it. It’s a natural sweetener that adds awesome flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Sorghum Cake Recipe:
This cake combines the bold gingerbread flavors we love with the unique sweetness of sorghum. The end result? A super moist, flavorful cake with an amazing aroma.
How to Make Sorghum Cake:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and line your desired cake pans with parchment rounds.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and clove. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the sorghum, sugars, and butter together until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes at medium speed. Scrape down the bowl halfway through to ensure even mixing. Add in the ginger and mix one minute more.
- With the mixer on low, add in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is incorporated before adding the next. Add in the vanilla.
- With the mixer still on low add in the flour and buttermilk in three alternating additions of flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk. After the last addition let the mixer for about ten seconds and then turn it off and complete the mixing by hand with a spatula. The batter should be homogeneous but be careful to not over-mix and end up with a tough cake. Use a folding mixture and make sure to get the very bottom of the bowl.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans. This will yield enough batter for three 8″ layers. If you’d like to make a cake the size of the one in the picture, increase the recipe by one half. Feel free to play with the sizes of your cake pans, just make sure that whatever pans you use, you only fill them half way up. To ensure even layers, measure the first pan you fill on a digital scale and match each subsequent pan of the same diameter to that measure.
- Bake cakes on the middle rack of the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for about five minutes, and then turn them out onto cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting. If not frosting that day, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Layers can also be frozen and used later. Word on the street is if you wrap them very, very tightly in multiple layers and put them in freezer bags they can keep a couple of months. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t vouch for it. Thaw before using.
- While the cake bakes, make your frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, mascarpone, and cream cheese until very fluffy and thoroughly combined, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl at about the two minute mark. Beat in the sugar and vanilla extract until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved without a trace of grainy.
- Once the cakes are cool, frost them according to your heart’s desire! I go naked because that’s enough frosting for me and I love the textural, messy look of a naked cake. To each their own
Tips:
- Grate your own fresh ginger – it packs a zesty punch powdered ginger can’t touch.
- Sorghum is a bit heavy, so easy on it. Cut it with molasses or honey if you want it milder.
Serving Suggestions
Dollop on whipped cream or ice cream. Garnish with rosemary or powdered sugar for a festive flair.
The ingredients:
- Sorghum syrup – adds depth and richness. Its sweetness balances the ginger beautifully.
- Ginger – fresh is best! It brings spicy warmth.
- Cinnamon and cloves – classic flavors to make it taste like the holidays.
- Brown sugar – a touch of molasses sweetness pairs great with sorghum.
- Mascarpone – makes the frosting creamy and tangy.
Substitutions:
- If you can’t find sorghum syrup, use molasses or honey.
- If you prefer a lighter frosting, Cream cheese or Greek yogurt for mascarpone
Equipment:
- Stand mixer
- Cake pans
- Parchment rounds
- Grater for ginger
- Scale for even layers
FAQs:
Can I freeze the cake layers?
Yes, wrap them up tight for a few months. Thaw before using.
Can I make the cake ahead?
For sure, the flavors deepen over time. Store airtight.
I hope you love this Gingerbread Sorghum Cake! It’s such a fun, flavorful addition to your holiday spread. Get those spices swirling in your kitchen!
Sorghum Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375 grams) all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- pinch of cloves
- 2/3 cup sorghum syrup
- 2/3 cup (135 grams) dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 sticks 226 grams, one cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons of finely grated fresh ginger packed
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 grams) buttermilk
For Frosting
- 16 oz of cream cheese room temperature
- 8 oz mascarpone
- 2 sticks 226 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted (additional to taste if you like your frosting very sweet, I don’t)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and line your desired cake pans with parchment rounds.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and clove. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the sorghum, sugars, and butter together until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes at medium speed. Scrape down the bowl halfway through to ensure even mixing. Add in the ginger and mix one minute more.
- With the mixer on low, add in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is incorporated before adding the next. Add in the vanilla.
- With the mixer still on low add in the flour and buttermilk in three alternating additions of flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk. After the last addition let the mixer for about ten second and then turn it off and complete the mixing by hand with a spatula. The batter should be homogenous but be careful to not overmix and end up with a tough cake. Use a folding mixture and make sure to get the very bottom of the bowl.
- Divide the batter evenly among cake pans. This will yield enough batter for three 8″ layers. If you’d like to make a cake the size of the one in the picture, increase the recipe by one half. Feel free to play with the sizes of your cake pans, just make sure that whatever pans you use, you only fill them half way up. To ensure even layers, measure the first pan you fill on a digital scale and match each subsequent pan of the same diameter to that measure.
- Bake cakes on the middle rack of the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan about five minutes, and then turn them out onto cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting. If not frosting that day, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Layers can also be frozen and used later. Word on the street is if you wrap them very, very tightly in multiple layers and put them in freezer bags they can keep a couple of months. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t vouch. Thaw before using.
- While the cake bakes, make your frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, mascarpone, and cream cheese until very fluffy and thoroughly combined, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl at about the two minute mark. Beat in the sugar and vanilla extract until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved without a trace of grainy.
- Once the cakes are cool, frost them according to your heart’s desire! I go naked because that’s enough frosting for me and I love the textural, messy look of a naked cake. To each their own!
My name is Beth, Elizabeth Evelyn to be exact. A native Tennessean, I was born in the South.
I am the author behind Local Milk Blog.