Soft and moist Gingerbread Cake made eggless and with whole wheat flour, jaggery and spices. This deliciously moist and relatively healthy spice cake is a traditional Western treat that is served around the winter holidays.
Mix the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg powder well in a bowl. You can also sift the above ingredients.
Add the ginger paste and candied ginger and mix again.
In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt with ¼ cup water till smooth. Then add the oil to it and mix thoroughly. Keep aside.
Remember to preheat the oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees C/356 degrees F.
Heat ½ cup water till its just hot (no need to boil) in a microwave or on stove top.
Add jaggery to the hot water and stir until the jaggery is dissolved. If there are impurities in the jaggery syrup, strain it using a fine mesh strainer.
Pour the yogurt and oil mixture to the flour mixture.
Then add the jaggery syrup.
Fold the ingredients well and make a smooth batter.
Baking gingerbread cake
Pour into a greased baking round pan or loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C/356 degrees F for 35 to 40 mins. It took me 41 minutes to bake the cake.
If the top gets browned quickly while baking, cover with parchment paper or aluminium foil and then continue to baking.
Check the baked cake with a bamboo skewer and it should come out clean.
Place the cake pan or a wired tray to cool completely.
Once cooled, remove the cake from the pan and place on a board or plate.
Dust some icing sugar or confectioner's sugar on the cake if you prefer.
Slice the eggless gingerbread and serve as is or with some whipped cream.
Notes
To make 2 teaspoons of ginger paste, crush 2 inches peeled ginger in a mortar-pestle to a fine consistency.
Feel free to add brown sugar or molasses instead of jaggery. You could add about ¾ cup of brown sugar or ½ cup of molasses or ½ cup jaggery syrup. Note you can always add any of these sweeteners less or more depending on your preferences.
Since I have used organic powdered jaggery, there are no impurities. If there are impurities in the jaggery syrup, then filter the syrup and use it.
Make this cake easily with all-purpose flour or an equal mix of both all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour. Note that with all-purpose flour you will need to add less liquids. So add about ⅓ cup of water when dissolving the jaggery.
Oven temperatures vary. Keep a check when the cake is baking and it can take less or more time in your oven to bake.
Note that the approximate nutrition info is for one slice of the cake.