Vegan Gingerbread Cake is a classic old-fashioned spice cake made with dark molasses, warm spices, and dairy-free ingredients. Serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of Vegan Caramel Sauce, or a thick layer of Cream Cheese Frosting.
Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake
I like this old-fashioned gingerbread cake for its classic holiday flavors that are both comforting and festive. Dark molasses and a generous blend of warm spices give it a depth of flavor that is distinctly gingerbread, not just a spice cake with ginger added in.
Ingredients for Gingerbread Cake
Here’s what you’ll need. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Vegan Butter – Softened at room temperature, not melted. Softened butter creams properly with the sugar and gives the cake its structure.
- Light Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar works in equal measure if that’s what you have. The deeper molasses flavor of dark brown sugar pairs well with the other ingredients.
- Dark Molasses – The ingredient that makes gingerbread taste like gingerbread. Use dark unsulphured molasses for the characteristic sweet, rich, and slightly bitter flavor. Blackstrap molasses is too robust and bitter for this recipe and will overpower the spices.
- Vegan Sour Cream – This is the egg replacer in the recipe. Sour cream adds moisture, binds the batter, and contributes a subtle tang that balances the sweetness of the molasses.
- All-Purpose Flour – Sift it. It takes a few extra minutes but it breaks up lumps and ensures the flour distributes evenly, which makes for a lighter, more tender cake.
- Baking Soda – The leavening agent.
- Spices – Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. The amounts in the recipe card are a guide and can be adjusted to suit personal taste. More ginger makes it spicier; more cinnamon makes it warmer and sweeter.
- Hot Water – This is one of the most important ingredients. Hot water dissolves and evenly distributes the molasses and sugar, and it activates, or blooms, the spices, making them more aromatic and pronounced in the finished cake.
How to Make Gingerbread Cake
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes | Total time: 55 minutes | Servings: 12 | Cuisine: American
STEP ONE: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with flour-based baking spray.
STEP TWO: Cream the Butter. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds, until creamy.
STEP THREE: Add the Sugar. Add the brown sugar and beat for an additional 30 seconds, until light and fluffy.
STEP FOUR: Add Molasses and Sour Cream. Mix in the molasses and sour cream for another 30 seconds, until incorporated.
STEP FIVE: Sift the Dry Ingredients. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt.
STEP SIX: Combine Wet and Dry. Working in three batches, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing after each addition. The mixture will be thick and crumbly.
STEP SEVEN: Add the Hot Water. Add the hot water and mix for 1 minute, until the consistency is smooth.
STEP EIGHT: Bake. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. A few moist crumbs are fine.
STEP NINE: Cool. Cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes, then turn the warm gingerbread cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Gingerbread cake keeps well and can be made one to two days in advance. Store covered at room temperature and frost or dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Yes. A 9×9-inch pan works and will produce a slightly thinner cake with a shorter baking time. Check at 30 to 35 minutes. A loaf pan also works well for a classic gingerbread loaf presentation; bake at 350°F and check at 45 to 50 minutes.
Cream cheese frosting is the most classic pairing. Caramel Sauce drizzled over the top is a close second. A simple dusting of powdered sugar is the easiest option and lets the spice flavor really come through.
Storage
Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to three days. For longer storage, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to five days. Bring to room temperature before serving. This cake also freezes well. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then seal in a freezer bag for up to two months.
More Cake and Cupcake Recipes
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Vegan Gingerbread Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- Flour-based baking spray
- 1/2 cup vegan butter softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup dark molasses unsulphured (not blackstrap)
- 1/4 cup vegan sour cream
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with flour-based baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds, until creamy.
- Add the brown sugar and beat for an additional 30 seconds, until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the molasses and sour cream for another 30 seconds, until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt.
- Working in three batches, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing after each addition. The mixture will be thick and crumbly.
- Add the hot water and mix for 1 minute, until the consistency is smooth.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean; a few moist crumbs are fine.
- Cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes then turn the warm gingerbread cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
This post was updated June 26, 2026.
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