Hi Dawn,
 

One of the wonderful things about gingerbread is that can be enjoyed in both (hopefully!) wonderfully moist cakes or crisp, crunchy cookies (not to mention all those cute gingerbread houses that pop up during Christmastime!). But sometimes gingerbread cakes can turn out dry and crumbly, lacking that rich, soft texture you crave. Here are some tips that I hope will help you get your gingerbread to turn out great!
 

First, start out with a great recipe! I have a few that you may want to try, since gingerbread is one of my favorites, too.  Old-Fashioned Gingerbread is a traditional recipe that uses lots of molasses and spices. Gingerbread Cake Squares rely on a cup of sweetened applesauce in the batter for moisture, and my Chocolate Gingerbread includes buttermilk and a whole cup of packed brown sugar for a tender crumb.  
 

To ensure that any one of these recipes turns out moist, be sure to accurately measure the ingredients.  Sometimes adding too much flour results in a too-dense cake because the ratio of wet to dry ingredients is off.  See my article on Measuring Basics for guidelines.  
 

Also make sure your oven is accurate.  Over time ovens can become a little hotter or cooler than what you actually set them to.  You can invest in an inexpensive oven thermometer to make sure you’re baking at the correct temperature.  
 

Don’t overbake your gingerbread—start checking at least five minutes before the earliest bake time stated in the recipe. Once your gingerbread is baked, cool it in the pan on a wire rack rather than turning it out of the pan to cool, which results in a drier consistency.  And lastly, once cooled pop it into an airtight container to keep it nice and moist.