Celebrate the holidays with this ultra moist Gingerbread Cake with Salted Bourbon Date Caramel Sauce! The cake is scented with warm spices of ginger, cinnamon, clove, allspice and nutmeg and is naturally sweetened with date syrup and date sugar! The amazing caramel sauce is also made with date syrup and a handful of pantry ingredients. Do you know what the best part is? The cake and caramel sauce are refined sugar free!

This post is sponsored by D'vash Organics however, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Short Stack Kitchen possible!

About D'Vash Organics

D'vash, which means "honey" in Hebrew, is a company that was established in 2016. D’vash products are sold in 9,500 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods Market, Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Sprouts Farmers Market, CVS and Safeway. In addition to date syrup, the company also makes date sugar, date energy bars and superfood bites.

WHAT DOES DATE SYRUP TASTE LIKE?

If you’ve never tried date syrup, it tastes similar to molasses but more mild. There are hints of caramel and brown sugar and the texture is very similar to honey. D’vash’s date syrup is made from sustainably-sourced non-GMO “ugly dates,” and is naturally vegan, paleo and gluten-free. If you are looking for a natural low sugar sweetener, this product may be for you!

WHAT IS DATED SUGAR?

Date sugar isn’t really sugar at all – it’s granulated dates! Dates are dehydrated and ground into a fine powder. Use it in cooking and baking, anywhere you’d use sugar. Lending a caramel flavor to any dish, date sugar is your new superfood weapon.

Let’s jump right into today’s post! We'll be making decadent Salted Bourbon Date Caramel Sauce and the most delicious and moist Gingerbread Cake!

Ingredients for Salted Bourbon Date Caramel

Once you try this Salted Bourbon Date Caramel Sauce, you will instantly fall in love! It's SO easy to make and only require 5 ingredients!

D'vash Date Syrup - Definitely the star of this caramel. Not only does it have a lovely molasses-like flavor, it also gives the caramel a beautiful rich color.
Unsalted Butter - Adds flavor.
Heavy Cream - Adds richness and helps thicken the caramel.
Vanilla Extract - Vanilla compliments the earthiness of the date syrup.
Salt - Helps round out the sweetness.
Bourbon - This is optional, but I highly recommend it. Rum would also work!

Ingredients for Gingerbread Cake

This Gingerbread Cake is so light, tender and so moist! In fact, it stays moist for 4 days! It also comes together so easily and makes for such a beautiful presentation as it's baked in an elegant bundt pan.

All-Purpose Flour - Use a high quality all-purpose flour such as, King Arthur. Alternatively, this cake can easily be made gluten-free by swapping out for your favorite gluten-free flour blend.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder - These leveners that are essential to help the cake rise and creates a light and fluffy texture.
Spices - We'll be using a combination of warm fall spices. Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg will scent the cake.
Salt - Rounds out the sweetness.
D'vash Date Syrup - Not only adds flavor, but makes the gingerbread cake so soft and moist.
D'vash Date Sugar - Adds a lovely caramel flavor to the cake.
Oil - Use any neutral oil such as, avocado, canola, or grapeseed.
Eggs - Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. You can quickly bring your eggs to temp by submerging them in hot tap water for 15 minutes.
Vanilla Extract or Paste - Adds flavor.
Buttermilk - Makes the cake tender.
Sour Cream - Use room temperature, full fat sour cream for best results. The sour cream gives the cake structure, it also makes it extremely moist. You can also substitute for plain Greek yogurt.

Instructions for Salted Bourbon Date Caramel

Step 1 - Add date syrup and butter to a saucepan.

Step 2 - Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil for 2 minutes.

Step 3 - Slowly pour in the heavy cream and whisk until incorporated.

Step 4 - Whisking often, cook until the caramel thickens. About 5 minutes. Keep in mind that once the caramel cools, it will thicken a lot more.

Step 5 - Turn the heat off and add vanilla and salt. Mix until combined.

Step 6 - This next step is completely optional, but if you are using bourbon or rum, stir it in now!

Step 7 - Pour in a glass jar and enjoy for up to 2 weeks! I love making caramel in advance as it stores so well in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, place it in the microwave and heat in 10 second intervals until your desired consistency.

Instructions for Gingerbread Cake

Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below!

Step 1 - With a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine date syrup, date sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix on medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Step 2 - Next, add the sour cream or Greek yogurt and mix for 1 more minute.

Step 3 - On low, alternate between mixing your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices) and buttermilk just until combined. Start by adding a third of the dry ingredients, then half of the buttermilk, another third of the dry, the rest of the wet and finally, the rest of the dry (dry, wet, dry, wet, dry). Remember to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. Careful not to overmix.

Step 4 - Transfer the batter to a greased 10-cup bundt pan. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 35 to 40 minutes. Mine finished after 35 minutes. The cake is done when an inserted toothpick comes out with very few crumbs or the internal temp is 200ºF (93ºC).

Step 5 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Once completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar if you wish and serve with your delicious Salted Bourbon Date Caramel. Enjoy!!

Expert Tips

Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. It’s the best and most accurate way to bake. You can read more about this below.

If you’re not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.

Use room temperature ingredients – Make sure your eggs, sour cream or Greek yogurt and buttermilk are all at room temperature. Room temperature ingredients emulsify better, thus creating a smooth batter.

Sift your dry ingredients – Make sure to sift your all-purpose flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. This will help create a lighter cake.

Do not over mix – Over mixing the batter will cause the gluten in the flour to overdevelop, which can lead to a dense cake. To prevent over mixing, we alternate between combining the dry and wet ingredients. Always mix on low and mix until just combined or when flour streaks are gone.

Do not overbake – Overbaking will cause the cake to dry out. Oven temperatures vary and the size of your pan can all affect your bake time. My 10-cup bundt pan took exactly 35 minutes to cook each time. Start checking on your cake after 30 minutes. Gently move your pan and if the batter still jiggles, close the oven door and check on it again after 5 minutes. If it looks set, insert a toothpick and check for doneness.

📖 Recipe