The six traditional recipes below were originally published in the Los Angeles Herald back in 1910. They give us a look at what “homemade” meant more than a century ago. No boxed mixes, no shortcuts — just the kind of straightforward instructions that passed from one cook to the next. From a basic loaf to chocolate gingerbread and old-school cookies, these are the flavors people knew and liked back then.
Gingerbread and cakes
Traditional gingerbread recipes #1: Basic gingerbread recipe
Basic traditional gingerbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup molasses (New Orleans style, not syrup)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 egg (for glaze)
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (for glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (very moderate). Grease a deep baking pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together the brown sugar and butter.
- Add molasses, beaten eggs and ginger. Mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.
- Stir into the wet mixture until combined.
- In a small bowl, beat 1 egg with the cream. Brush this glaze over the top of the batter before baking.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool before slicing.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, qualifying purchases made via our links earns us a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 379Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 156mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 1gSugar: 36gProtein: 7g
Click Americana offers approximate nutrition information as a general reference only, and we make no warranties regarding its accuracy. Please make any necessary calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, and consult with a qualified healthcare professional if you have dietary concerns.
Classic gingerbread recipes #2: Ginger cookies
Take one cupful of sugar, one cupful of butter, one cupful of molasses, one-third of a cupful of vinegar, flour to thicken, one teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of soda, one tablespoonful of ginger, one egg.
Rub the butter and sugar together, add the egg, well beaten, the salt and ginger, and stir all well together until smooth. Dissolve the soda in the vinegar, stir the vinegar into the molasses and add the latter to the mixture.
Beat all well together, and put in enough flour to admit of rolling out properly, taking care that no more flour is used than is necessary to prevent the cakes sticking to the board. Roll quite thin, cut the cookies out and bake them in a quick oven.
ALSO SEE: 8 great classic gingersnap recipes
Traditional gingerbread recipes #3: Gingerbread nuts
Mix together two pounds of flour, a pound and a quarter of molasses, half a pound of brown sugar, two ounces of ginger, three quarters of a pound of butter, melted, and a very little cayenne pepper. Roll out half an inch in thickness and cut into small cakes.
Classic gingerbread recipes #4: Plain gingerbread recipe
Stir to a cream one cupful of brown sugar and three tablespoonfuls of butter. Add one cupful of New Orleans or Puerto Rico molasses (never use syrup), two beaten eggs and half of a tablespoonful of ginger. Mix thoroughly, then stir in two and one-half cupfuls of flour sifted with two teaspoonfuls of baking powder.
Turn into a deep baking pan and bake for one hour in a moderate oven. Just before putting into the oven, gloss over with a mixture made by stirring together a beaten egg and the same amount of rich cream.
Traditional gingerbread recipes #5: Chocolate gingerbread
Mix thoroughly one cupful of molasses, half a cupful of sour milk, a teaspoonful each of cinnamon and ginger, and a little salt; stir in two tablespoonfuls of melted butter and one teaspoonful of water. When the whole is mixed beat in, gradually, two cupfuls of flour and four tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate. Bake in a loaf in the regular way.
Classic gingerbread recipes #6: Ginger cakes recipe
To three well-beaten eggs add half a pint of rich cream, beat again and set over the fire until quite warm, stirring continually. Then add one pound of butter, half a pound of loaf sugar, powdered, and two and one half ounces of ginger.
Stir the whole carefully over a glow fire until the butter is melted. Pour it over two pounds of sifted flour and form all into a paste. Roll and cut out.
ALSO SEE: Gingerbread house gallery: Christmas cookies & candy (1987)
