Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup molasses
- ½ cup buttermilk or milk + 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling:
- ¾ to 1 cup plum jam or preserves
For the ganache:
- 200 g dark chocolate chopped
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
For garnish (optional):
- Powdered sugar
- Sugared cranberries
- Rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, molasses, vanilla, and mix well.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet mixture. Stir just until combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 22–26 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely, then slice the cake horizontally into 3 even layers.
- Spread jam between the bottom and middle layers, then again between middle and top layers.
- For ganache: heat cream until simmering, pour over chocolate, let sit, then stir smooth. Add butter and stir until glossy.
- Spread ganache over the top of the stacked cake. Chill for 20–30 minutes to set.
- Slice into bars and garnish with powdered sugar, sugared cranberries, and rosemary sprigs before serving.
Notes
- Use a serrated knife and chill the cake for clean slicing.
- Warm jam slightly for easier spreading.
- Level the cake if needed for neater stacking.
- Feel free to substitute cranberry or blackberry jam if desired.
- Let ganache fully set before trimming or serving.