Ingredients

• 1½ cups Organic Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour (204 g)
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• 1½ tsp Ground Ginger
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
• ½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted and slightly cooled (113 g)
• 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar (200 g)
• ½ cup Molasses (170 g)
• 2 Eggs
• ½ cup Buttermilk, room temperature (120 g)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• White Royal Icing or other White Icing
• Sparkle Sugar or White Sprinkles
• Powdered Sugar, for dusting
• Shredded Coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cocoa powder.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat melted, slightly cooled butter and brown sugar on medium speed until well combined. Add molasses and vanilla extract and mix to combine

3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition.

4. Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix until mostly incorporated. Add half of the buttermilk and mix to combine. Repeat with another one-third of the dry ingredients, the remaining buttermilk and the remaining dry ingredients, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

5. Generously spray cakelet pan with baking spray that contains flour, such as Baker’s Joy. Use a pastry brush to evenly distribute the spray, making sure it reaches all the detailed crevices of the pan.

6. Fill each cavity about two-thirds full with batter and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter and release any air bubbles.

7. For gingerbread people, bake for 35–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cakelet comes out clean.

8. For evergreen trees, bake for 25–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Let cakelets cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

10. For trees, trim any excess cake from the flat sides as needed so the pieces fit together neatly to form whole trees. Trim the bottoms as needed so they are flat and the trees sit upright.

1. Once cakes are completely cool, use a piping bag or small parchment cone to decorate gingerbread kids and trees with icing. For gingerbread people, pipe simple details such as faces, buttons and clothing. For trees, pipe lines of icing to create branches and snow.

2. While the icing is still wet, sprinkle with sparkle sugar or white sprinkles as desired. Let icing set completely.

3. Lightly dust finished cakes with powdered sugar for a snowy effect.

4. If serving trees on a platter, sprinkle shredded coconut around the base to create a snow-like effect.

5. After decorating and once the icing has set, use a small amount of decorating icing to stick the two tree halves together and create whole trees.