Name: Vintage Cranberry Gingerbread Cake Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 9
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter (softened); 1/2 cup sugar; 1 egg; 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ginger; 1/2 cup light molasses; 1/2 cup milk; 1 7-ounce can (1 cup) jellied cranberry sauce (cut into cubes)

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Enjoy this delicious retro twist on a gingerbread cake. It’s soft, delicious, and full of flavor. It’s the perfect holiday treat from the past.

a piece of cranberry gingerbread on a plate with the rest of the cake still in the pan

If you just want the recipe card, scroll down, and it’s all ready for you. You can even get a printer-friendly version. If you want to hear more about this vintage recipe and how to make it, keep reading.

Gingerbread has been around for a very long time, with the first known recipe coming from Greece in 2400 BC!

Chinese recipes started around the 10th century and gingerbread started to become popular in Europe in the late Middle Ages. Queen Elizabeth I is credited with the decorated cookies we know and love. It’s a very interesting history and such a holiday classic now.

Something I have also found interesting when looking at vintage recipes is how popular gingerbread was. While it seemed most popular around the holidays, you will see it pop up at other times as well.

I have grown to really enjoy gingerbread as well, and over the years, I’ve recreated some delicious vintage gingerbread recipes like gingerbread brownies and gingerbread muffins. Both are now staples in my home around the holidays.

Quick note: The turquoise plate in the photos is a vintage plate. It was part of my great-grandma’s dishes. I don’t use these dishes for regular use as they may contain lead. They are used for decor or briefly for photos with food that isn’t acidic. You can learn more about lead in vintage dishes on the site.

How to Make Cranberry Gingerbread Cake

slice of cranberry gingerbread cake on plate with pan of the rest of the background

This recipe comes from a 1950s issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It was called Gingerbread Surprise. The surprise is jellied cranberry sauce!

It’s a simple recipe to make from scratch but the magazine did note that it could be made using a gingerbread mix, this is not something I see often these days but if you can find one they say to make it as directed, pour into a greased pan, and sprinkle the cubes of cranberry sauce over the batter and bake.

If you want to make it from scratch, I’ve got you covered! I’ve tested this recipe and have rewritten it to account for how we read recipes now.

cranberry gingerbread cake batter in glass pan

Ingredients You Will Need:

I purchased most of my ingredients from Thrive Market. I love their products, and the prices are always good. I find they usually have a great price on my favorite flour King Arthur.

I have a full review of Thrive Market here on the site if you are interested in checking them out.

Now, here is a list of ingredients you will need to have on hand for this recipe.

Butter
Sugar
Egg
Flour
Baking Soda
Salt
Cinnamon
Ginger
Light Molasses
Milk
Jellied Cranberry Sauce

You will also need a 9x9x2-inch square pan. I used to recommend a glass Pyrex pan for this, but since they have switched to a cheaper kind of glass and also been sold to a private equity firm, I no longer recommend modern Pyrex. If you can find a vintage clear glass square pan, that would be my top pick. If not, Sur La Table has a great glass square pan that is made with borosilicate glass.

slice of gingerbread cake on plate with fork and snowman mug

More Vintage Recipes To Try

After you finish this cranberry gingerbread cake vintage recipe, I’ve got more for you to try. These are some I think you would like.

Yield: 9 Slices

Vintage Cranberry Gingerbread Cake Recipe

Cut into this delicious gingerbread cake and find tiny cubes of cranberry sauce for a yummy twist on this classic.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup light molasses
1/2 cup milk
1 7-ounce can (1 cup) jellied cranberry sauce (cut into cubes)

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg and beat well.
Sift together dry ingredients.
Combine molasses and milk; add to creamed mixture alternating with dry ingredients.
Carefully fold in cubes of cranberry sauce.
Pour into a greased 9x9x2-inch square pan.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes

The original recipe gave no information on what size the cranberry sauce cubes should be. I made mine a little smaller than half an inch and that worked well.

Cranberry Gingerbread Cake Recipe (1950s Recipe)