Cake Ingredients
2⅔ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp ground cloves
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
¾ cup unsulphured molasses
3 large eggs (room temperature preferred)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
⅓ cup very hot water
Frosting Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese, softened (full-fat cream cheese preferred)
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1½ tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk (optional)
Cake Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° and grease three 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
Add melted butter and vegetable oil and stir well. Stir in molasses. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and stir until thoroughly combined. Finally, stir in hot water. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and ensure batter is uniform and well-combined.
Evenly divide batter into prepared pans and transfer to center rack oven. Bake for 28 minutes or until centers are set, cake lightly springs back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
Allow cakes to cool in their pan for 10-15 minutes before running a knife around the edge and carefully inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting Instructions
Combine cream cheese, butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
Gradually add powdered sugar, stirring until completely combined. If frosting seems too thick, thin it by adding heavy cream or milk and beating briefly on high speed. Level cakes, if needed, and decorate with frosting. CS