Hot & Spicy Gingerbread is a Caribbean-style bread that’s rich and moist and has a lot of deep heat from
the combination of ginger and white pepper. Making it in a cast-iron pan will add an extra-dark, beautifully robust exterior, which pairs flawlessly with a glass of sparkling cider, ginger beer, or chai.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground mace
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup molasses
- ½ cup warm water
- ¼ cup grated fresh ginger
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with butter.
- a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, allspice, cinnamon, white pepper, mace, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Place the butter and sugars in a large bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the egg, and mix until incorporated. Add the molasses and mix until incorporated.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add onethird of the flour mixture. Add ¼ cup of the warm water and mix. Add another third of the flour, then the remaining ¼ cup warm water. Finish with the remaining flour (it’s important to end with the flour).
- Using a spatula, fold in the grated ginger, then pour into the prepared skillet.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.