This is a delightful little snacking cake. It’s got all the flavors—molasses, allspice, cinnamon, ginger. Oh. espresso. It’s got espresso flavor, too. It is just the kind of flavor bomb you need to jolt you out of your late afternoon funk…or your just-outta-bed bleariness.
This recipe is from Yossy Arefi’s cookbook Snacking Bakes. The book can be ordered through your local bookstore or on Amazon here.
Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen.
Coffee-Glazed Molasses Bars
June 6, 2024
Ingredients
- For The Cake:
- 8 T. melted unsalted butter
- 1/3 C. unsulphured molasses
- 1/2 C. light brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 C. granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (used cold directly from the refrigerator)
- 2 t. ground cinnamon
- 2 t. ground ginger
- 1/2 t. ground allspice
- 1/2 t. fine sea salt
- 3/4 t. baking soda
- 1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
- For The Coffee Glaze:
- 1/2 C. powdered sugar
- 1 t. instant espresso powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2-3 t. of milk
- For The Plain Powdered Sugar Glaze:
- 1/2 C. powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2-3 t. milk
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Step 2 Prepare an 8 inch by 8 inch square baking pan by greasing it and lining it with parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper larger than the pan and use the overhang as “handles” to lift the cake out of the pan after baking.
- Step 3 Whisk melted butter, molasses, brown sugar and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until combined.
- Step 4 Add egg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt to the molasses mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Step 5 Whisk the baking soda into the batter. Fold in the flour.
- Step 6 Your batter will be pretty thick. Use a rubber spatula to spoon the batter out of the mixing bowl and to distribute the batter into the baking pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top of the batter and ease it into the corners of your pan.
- Step 7 Bake in preheated 350 degree F. pan for about 25 minutes. Use a toothpick to test the center of the cake to be sure it is done.
- Step 8 Cool the cake on a wire rack.
- Step 9 While the cake is cooling, make your glazes. Simply combine the ingredients for each glaze and stir to combine.
- Step 10 When the cake is cooled, drizzle with the coffee glaze and then with the plain white powdered sugar glaze.
