Gingerbread Porter Cake: Spiced, Sticky, and Rich With Roasty Porter Depth

This Gingerbread Porter Cake is everything you want from a winter bake — loaded with warming spices, deep molasses sweetness, and a pour of dark beer that brings it all together.

The porter amplifies the gingerbread’s dark richness and gives the crumb an almost pudding-like moisture. It’s bold, festive, and better the next day (if it lasts that long).

Ingredients (Makes one 9-inch round or loaf-style cake)

For the Cake

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup unsulphured molasses (dark, not blackstrap)
• ¾ cup porter (chocolate, vanilla, or oatmeal porter recommended)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ½ tsp salt
• Optional: 1 tsp grated fresh ginger for extra zing
• Optional: ½ cup chopped crystallized ginger or raisins

For the Glaze or Topping (Choose One)

• Maple Porter Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar + 1–2 tbsp porter + 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Lemon Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar + 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Whipped Cream & Toasted Nuts (if serving warm)

Instructions

Make the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9″ round or loaf pan.
• In a saucepan, warm molasses and porter together over medium-low heat. Do not boil — just warm and stir until smooth. Let cool.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.
• Stir in the molasses-beer mixture.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
• Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until just combined. Fold in optional ginger or raisins if using.
• Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top.
• Bake for 35–45 minutes (round) or up to 55 minutes (loaf), until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
• Let cool slightly before glazing, or serve warm with cream.

Make the Glaze

• Whisk together glaze ingredients of choice until smooth and pourable.
• Drizzle over cooled or just-warm cake. Let set for 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Serving Suggestions

Serve With

• Whipped cream or crème fraîche
• Vanilla or cinnamon ice cream
• A warm mug of porter, spiced chai, or espresso

Garnish With

• Candied orange peel
• Toasted pecans or walnuts
• Extra drizzle of glaze or porter reduction

Beer Pairing

In the Batter

• Porter (chocolate, oatmeal, vanilla, or holiday-spiced)
• Milk stout or gingerbread stout
• Avoid overly bitter or dry styles

In Your Glass

• Same porter as in the cake
• Belgian dubbel for dark fruit contrast
• Spiced ale or winter warmer for festive pairing
• Barrel-aged stout if you want to go heavy

Final Thoughts

Gingerbread Porter Cake is sticky, spiced, and wrapped in dark malt comfort — a true cold-weather bake that hits every note from molasses to ginger to roast.

It’s beer-forward, unapologetically rich, and exactly what to make when you want your kitchen to smell like a holiday market… with beer.

Cheers to ginger, porter, and cake that drinks like dessert! 🌿🍺🍰

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