Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan or spray with baking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and baking soda.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the molasses and hot water until the molasses is dissolved. Whisk in the sugar and the butter until well combined. Lastly, whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Pour the molasses mixture into the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the center is springy to the touch. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Serve with fresh whipped cream and dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
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Notes
This cake would be delicious topped with my perfect cream cheese frosting! For a little extra zing, add lemon zest from 1 lemon to the frosting.
This recipe could easily be converted to a layer cake by dividing the batter among two 9-inch round cake pans. Coat with buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting.
I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour as it’s the most accurate method and will prevent you from ending up with dense cake layers. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method prevents you from overpacking the measuring cup.
Do not overmix the batter, or you’ll have a tough cake. Mix everything until just combined.
I recommend bringing the eggs to room temperature, so they incorporate into the batter without overbeating. If you forgot to bring the eggs out, place them in a bowl of warm tap water to help warm them up.
For the best flavor, use pure vanilla instead of artificial extract. Even better, try my homemade vanilla extract.