Classic Old-fashioned Gingerbread cake that is vegan, oil-free, whole grain and out of this world delicious, moist and full of amazing flavor from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and molasses. There is a delicious gluten-free version as well.
I’m so happy to have this post up for this Vegan Gingerbread Cake! It is by far the best gingerbread cake that I have ever had!! Anybody would love this cake. It is so moist, rich, full of amazing gingerbread spices and incredibly easy to make.
It is only 8 ingredients and nobody would ever know that it is vegan and oil-free because it is that delicious!
Meet one of my all-time favorite cakes. I’m a huge spice cake lover and my favorite is gingerbread. The smells and depth of flavor….I can’t get enough. I originally started testing this cake recipe last holiday season. But I never got around to making it exactly perfect or posting in time last year, so here we are. Better late than never, right?
This is my favorite gingerbread cake to date. I used to make one back in the day that was filled with eggs, oil and sugar. Not only is this one healthier by a mile, it is better. That is how unbelievably delicious this cake is.
I admit I’m super picky when it comes to gingerbread cake. I need all the classic gingerbread spices found in old-fashioned gingerbread cake and especially, cloves! Cloves provide that extra deep flavor that specifically make gingerbread taste like that undeniable gingerbread. Classic gingerbread should be slightly dense, without being heavy, but spongy, fluffy soft and incredibly moist. They are notorious for their amazing, moist texture. This is due to the molasses and typically butter/oil content. If you look at classic gingerbread cakes, they always have that perfect flat, moist top. Once I finally nailed the recipe, it was pure glory. And the texture, my friends…I came up with the most perfect flour blend ever for this cake. The texture and crumb of this cake is amazing. It’s firm, slices beautifully, doesn’t fall apart and is perfectly soft.
Classic gingerbread cake is topped with simple powdered sugar or whipped cream. This is so a frosting doesn’t compete with the flavor awesomeness happening underneath.
I created my own Gingerbread Spice to use all season and it is divine in this cake. Not too spicy, but just enough to feel it in your throat and that touch of nutmeg and cloves in every bite. You will literally taste each spice as you are eating a slice.
The biggest surprise of all is that this cake is low-fat! My intention was not in any way to create a low-fat cake, it was just by accident, lol. Through my many trials, it was this blend of ingredients that was magic. There are NO nuts, coconut, oil or butter. All the moisture comes from 2 very important ingredients…applesauce and molasses. Without these, your cake will be dry as a bone. They are both magical in flavor and texture. I know some gingerbread cakes have a ton of molasses in them but I’m not a fan. This cake has the perfect amount for me.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN GINGERBREAD CAKE
First, you need to gather the gingerbread cake ingredients::
- spelt flour
- brown rice flour
- cornstarch
- baking soda
- Gingerbread spice blend (see below)
- pure maple syrup
- molasses
- unsweetened applesauce
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 square pan (I used aluminum) with parchment paper strips going in each direction,
To a large bowl, add the spelt, rice flour, cornstarch, baking soda, spices and salt and whisk very well.
To the same bowl, add the syrup, applesauce, molasses and hot water. Whisk gently in large circles until everything is combined and smooth, making sure to get the flour at the bottom, but DO NOT over-mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top and evenly to the corners. Bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes or when a toothpick is completely clean.
Cool the cake completely in the pan before slicing.
This cake is dedicated to my friend Natalie over at Feasting on Fruit because she really loves *moist* cakes! 😉
Vegan Gingerbread Cake (Gluten-free Option)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (192g) spelt flour (*SEE NOTES AT VERY BOTTOM FOR SUBS!*)
- 1/4 cup (40g) brown rice flour
- 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 4 teaspoons gingerbread spice (SEE NOTES AT BOTTOM)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup (240g) pure maple syrup, room temp
- 1 cup (240g) unsweetened applesauce, room temp
- 1/4 cup (80g) unsulphured molasses (do not use blackstrap or sub!)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) HOT water
NOTE
- You will need a whisk for this cake to ensure a perfectly smooth batter. A spoon will not incorporate the batter well and will affect the texture. Please know that this cake I tested around 10 times to get it just right, so I cannot stress enough the importance of following the recipe and weighing your ingredients for accuracy. I cannot vouch for results if you sub flours or liquids. The molasses and applesauce are magical for flavor and moisture here and cannot be subbed or the cake will not be moist.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line an 8x8 square pan (I used almuminum) with parchment paper strips going in each direction, cut to fit and with overhang (not bunched in the corners). If you want to make muffins, use 14 parchment liners.
- To a large bowl, add the spelt, rice flour, cornstarch, baking soda, spices and salt and whisk very well.
- Make sure none of your liquids are cold before proceeding, otherwise your batter will not be smooth or mix well. To the same bowl, add the syrup, applesauce, molasses and hot water. Whisk gently in large circles until everything is combined and smooth, making sure to get the flour at the bottom, but DO NOT over-mix. As soon as it's smooth, stop mixing. Over-mixing the batter can make the cake dense and the center SINK. Now, taste that batter and tell me it's not out of this world!
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top and evenly to the corners. Bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes or when a toothpick is completely clean. Each trial mine was exactly perfect at 25 minutes on the dot. If making muffins, divide the batter between 14 liners, this will yield the perfect size. Bake the muffins closer to 20-22 minutes, being careful not to over-bake.
- Cool the cake completely in the pan for a minimum of 1 hour, no exception. This allows the cake to completely cook through. There is a lot of applesauce and moisture in this cake, so you don't want to cut too soon or it will be wet. Once ready to serve, lift the cake out with the parchment flaps. Use a very sharp knife to cut carefully into slices. Sprinkle with powdered sugar right before serving. The cake is so moist that you don't want to do the sugar until right before serving or else it just melts into the cake.
Notes
- I recommend making my Homemade Gingerbread Spice Mix for this cake since I tailor made it for it. You can also keep the blend on hand for making this cake often, pancakes, waffles, muffins, etc. Or you can use a store-bought blend, just make sure it is one containing cloves!
- If you don't want to make my whole blend, then for this recipe, you can just add 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (use 1/4 tsp for a milder flavor) and 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice.
- REGULAR FLOUR: To make this with regular white all-purpose flour, sub the spelt and brown rice flours with 1 3/4 cup white all-purpose flour and weigh if possible for best results. You will need 224 grams of the all-purpose flour. Please note that the texture will slightly be more chewy (less soft/tender) because of the higher gluten content than spelt and brown rice flours, but will still be a delicious cake. Be careful to not over-mix the batter. You will reduce the cornstarch to 1 tablespoon (this is your egg). The spelt/rice flour really is the most perfect texture, so getting that would be ideal but the white flour does work well.
- GLUTEN-FREE: To make this gluten-free, sub the spelt flour for superfine GF oat flour (I tested with Bob's Red Mill) and it will be the same weight amount (192g). DO NOT USE a store-bought all-purpose GF blend in place of this oat flour version, that was not tested, ONLY oat flour was and it keeps this recipe moist and very similar to the spelt version. All blends perform very differently. Since oat flour cakes tend to be more dense, you will decrease the applesauce by 2 tablespoons. All the rest of the ingredients remain the same. Please note that the oat flour version is not as light/fluffy and is more dense, so is ONLY recommended if gluten-free is required. It is still delicious, just not as perfect of a texture as the spelt version.
Nutrition
Thank you for another amazing recipe! I made this for a get together. I have to say after trying it I wanted to keep them for myself. These are so addictive and beyond wonderful!
I especially appreciate your directions they are so concise, anticipatory and perceptive. It is like you are personally answering my questions before I even ask!!
Your recipes are my number 1 go to’s. 💕
This makes me so happy to hear Carol-Ann! I try really hard to be detailed and helpful, so thank you so much for noticing and appreciating it! So glad you loved the cake!
Hi, have you tried buckwheat flour and combine with the rice flour? Thanks
No I haven’t, I’ve only tested the versions listed. But buckwheat is gluten-free and not too sure how it would work in place of the spelt since it’s the main ingredient. I would think it would be crumbly but I have no idea.
I only had blackstrap molasses, not regular. So I used 2 Tablespoons of blackstrap molasses and 2 TB of coconut nectar, and it still came out amazing! Wanted to eat it all in one sitting. Thanks for another great recipe
Hi Brandi
Made this cake and it was absolutely yummo. I’ve never had gingerbread cake before and wow, what a treat. I made your spice blend as i couldn’t find anything like it here in Oz. The centre sunk and unfortunately didn’t cook all the way through. Will make again and either leave it in the oven for longer or maybe turn my oven up a little.
Thanks again for another fabulous recipe.
Hi Julie, so glad you loved it!! If the cake sinks it’s because it wasn’t cooked through long enough before removing from the oven. Mine has never sunk. Make sure to leave it in until the toothpick is clean. Turning up the oven won’t prevent that, it would just make it rise faster and then increase the chance of it deflating. Another reason a cake can sink is if the measurements are off, did you use a scale or change an ingredient? Hope to help!
Thanks Brandi, I used scales and followed your recipe to a tee. I loved the flavour so much I’ll make it again taking your advice and leave it in the oven for a little longer.
PS my non-vegan husband loved it. ❣
Wonderful Julie, thank you! Yeah, ovens vary so yours just may need a bit longer 🙂
Holy dang, this stuff is incredible. I’m already compiling a list in my head of all the people I have to send a batch to.
Oh yay, so glad you loved it!
This cake looks incredible and I’m excited to make it! My son needs gluten free, though. I’m planning on bringing it to a Christmas party tonight for lots of non plant-based people (to say the least lol) and don’t want to risk losing any fluffiness with the oat flour … couldn’t I just use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour blend in place of the spelt and brown rice flours (neither of which I have), as you recommend subbing the white flour? It can be subbed one-to-one for white flour and I’ve used it quite a few times with great success
Thank you Emily! Honestly, I don’t know. I never use that brand and from what I believe, most blends have added gums which make cakes too chewy in my experience. I’ve only tested the two versions listed so I can’t say what that brand would do to the texture. Not to mention, it’ll change the weights. You can try it, I just can’t guarantee the results. The spelt and brown rice flour yield the most amazing tender fluffy result and while the oat version is denser, it’s still delicious and made by many readers who’ve still loved it!
For Brandi or anyone else whose made this recipe: any ideas or tips for turning these into cupcakes? I have my office holiday party (potluck) next week and I’m thinking these would make a great contribution. I’m curious about baking time for cupcakes. Thanks!
Hi Stephanie! I have not tested these as cupcakes personally, but know readers who have. I think they would take more like 20 minutes for a clean toothpick. I think it would make a dozen or more cupcakes. I would do a test batch first, like a half batch or something. Fill up the muffin liners about 2/3 full because if you overfill them, it will cause them to rise too high and then deflate.
Just made this delicious cake, had to sub with blackstrap molasses (that’s all I had) and it turned out perfect. The spice blend is great too.
Wonderful Nancy, so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for the feedback! Would you mind clicking the star rating as well, they help me out so much!
Do you think this recipe would work in a mini bundt pans? They make little individual sizes Bundts that are very pretty
Hi Jean! Yes, I do, I just have only ever made it in the square pan, so I don’t know how long to tell you to bake it or how many mini pans to divide it in not knowing the sizes you will be using, but my guess would be to not to fill up the batter more than half or so in each pan, otherwise if too much is filled, it will rise too much and then deflate.
THanks! I’m going to try them out for my thanksgiving table, I think they will so cute as mini bundts. I will let you know how they turn out
No, I didn’t weigh the ingredients and it was spelt flour from the store, so who knows – I will weigh the ingredients next time I make it. Thanks!
Ok, yes weighing really makes a difference since we all measure so differently with cups. Even a couple of tablespoons of liquid or flour can affect the texture. 🙂
I just made this and my daughter loved it! I had to cook it about 40 minutes and it is flatter and a bit more like a brownie than a cake. I followed the recipe exactly. The spelt flour was whole wheat spelt. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Sue! That is very odd. Something was off because I’ve never had that happen and no other reader has had that experience, as you can see from all the reviews above. It should be very light and fluffy/spongy just like in the photos, nothing like a brownie. Did you weigh the ingredients and was the spelt sprouted wheat? Did you use homemade applesauce? Sounds like something was really off with the flour or wet ingredients because it definitely shouldn’t need 40 minutes or have that result. You added the brown rice flour and starch? Also, you have to be careful about overmixing or it can make the center deflate.
Oh, just thought of something, by chance did you accidentally forget the baking soda? That alone would cause it to take much longer to bake and cause a brownie texture. The baking soda is what makes it rise and get fluffy and spongy.
Made this at Christmas to share with others and it was a HUGE hit!! Even some that said they didn’t like gingerbread enjoyed it. This is a MUST to make and share with others………..if you really want to share!! ☺️
Thank you so much Penny for making the cake and leaving the review, so glad to hear how much everybody enjoyed it! Yay!
This cake is so super delicious! My husband and children are in LOVE! I come back to your website often for all of your fabulous gluten free, low fat, vegan recipes!!!! Thank you!!!!
Wonderful, that is such great news!! Glad it was a hit with everyone!
I made this with gluten free brown rice flour and gluten free ground oats. I also used a maple syrup made with xylitol to reduce the sugar content. It came out beautifully and is delicious. Thanks!
Yay! So glad to hear the cake turned out beautiful Pam, thank you so much for the lovely feedback!
Hi! I was wondering if I could sub the cornstarch for something else like, arrowroot flour or maybe even eggs? I don’t normally keep cornstarch in the pantry. Thanks!! Looks yum!!
Hi Elyse, I have not tested this with arrowroot so I can’t say. I personally find that arrowroot can tend to make things more chewy/tough, but you are welcome to try it, I just can’t personally vouch for the results. Cornstarch really helps to make the cake fluffy and I use it often in my recipes so it’s definitely a good investment if you want to get some. I definitely would not add eggs as that will add a lot of liquid to the recipe that would throw off the liquid/dry ratio balance. Let me know if you try it!
You fell asleep on your keyboard? And stayed there all night? Oh my gosh, the perfect example of how hard we food bloggers work, though I haven’t yet done that, I just shut down the computer and go to bed. haha
Clearly I need to make this cake to make it worthwhile to stay up! haha…seriously, I love gingerbread cake, and your photography is beautiful.
Thank you for sharing Brandi ! Dee xx
Lol, yes, well obviously it wasn’t intentional, as I woke up at my desk! So I clearly didn’t plan to fall asleep on purchase which is why that has never happened before. I’ve done that of course in front of tv, but never while working. Oh no, I didn’t stay there all night, hahaha. I woke up in the middle of the night and then went to bed, haha. Guess I was tired, lol. Thank you so much Dee, you are so kind!
I am baking gor my child who is gluten and corn intolerant. Can I sub arrowroot or tapioca starch successfully for cornstarch in this recipe?
Thanks for all you do to make baking more accessible for all of us!
Yes, I would try tapioca and that should work fine!
I made this for the 3rd time today. I continue to follow the recipe exactly as written because it is perfect although I prefer a less sweet cake, I did not want to mess up the ratio of liquid to dry since you put so much effort into perfecting the recipe.
Tip: use a very large bowl to fully mix all the ingredients.
So awesome Lucy! So glad you love it so much. I find it perfectly sweet but if you want it less sweet, then just reduce the syrup by 2 tablespoons and replace with a milk like soy and I think that should work.
I made this just before Xmas, it’s delicious! Super moist and gingery. I didn’t have brown rice flour so subbed ordinary plain flour, and it’s turned out just great. Thanks for an awesome vegan cake recipe 💫
Awesome Michele, so glad you loved it! Pastry flour is very similar to spelt, so that sounds like a great sub! Thank you so much for the review!
SO awesome to hear that Michele! Yes, the all-purpose flour version I provided below works just as yummy! So glad you loved it!
OMG, you fell asleep while typing, lol. Your cake sounds absolutely incredible, and I love that it’s low-fat and yet it looks so moist, fluffy and spongy. Amazing recipe 🙂
Thank you so much Ela! It really is such a delicious cake and does not taste low fat in the slightest!
Oh yum! I made this late last night and let it cool overnight, woke up this morning and couldn’t resist sneaking a couple of pieces with my Christmas coffee before taking the remainder 🙂 to a party later on. I love it! Because I didn’t have the flours you called for I used unbleached pastry flour and it turned out just great. Super moist and fluffy. I love the strong spicy flavors — a true ginger bread in the old fashioned sense. I’ll likely make this throughout the year — why wait for Christmas??? Thank you for this delicious and easy cake recipe!
Yay Andrea! So happy to hear that the cake was such a hit! Pastry flour is very similar to spelt and white flour, so I can see how it would work so well! Thank you so much for the review!
I made this for Christmas, so good! VERY spicy, don’t think it will be everyone’s cup of tea, but I like it that way. I’m so glad that it has no fat in it, fewer calories at the holiday table, yay! I was a bit nervous about using molasses as I HATE the taste of it, but I can’t feel it in the baked cake. Thank you for the recipe Brandy! Merry Christmas! 🙂
Yay! So glad you loved it so much as everybody else has Camelia, thank you for the awesome review! As far as being very spicy, are you sure you added the right amount of ginger because it’s actually not spicy at all to me, well spiced and full of flavor, but not spicy, heat wise and every single person has loved the cake, as you can see by all the reviews above, so I’m thinking too much ginger accidentally?? Regardless, glad you loved it. Thank you!
Yes, I think spicy was not the right word to describe it. I didn’t mean spicy as in too hot, but well spiced, as you said 🙂
I think people around here (Romania) are just not very used to well spiced desserts, they are usually much more mildly flavored, so it’s quite shocking I guess to get such a strong punch of cloves for example :)) Cloves and nutmeg are used very sparingly around here, and allspice is not that popular either, especially in desserts. For the longest time I didn’t even know what allspice was and just omitted it in recipes asking for it. It was my first time using it. I use large amounts of cinnamon every day and I love cloves as well, but the first taste of the cake was quite shocking for me as well. But I do love it! I just might reduce a bit the amount of spices when serving it to other people :))
Ahh ok, I didn’t realize you were in Romania. Yes, here in America, classic old-fashioned gingerbread has a lot of flavor, in fact, mild is too bland and boring with not enough spices. We love the rich spices, which is what make it a classic. It’s my all-time favorite cake growing up 🙂 I’m so glad you loved it, even if not used to classic gingerbread! It’s a big hit and classic here!
Yes, I’ve noticed American recipes are usually more generous in spices, but I don’t mind that. Whenever I’m testing a new recipe I like to test it as is and only afterwards modify it if it’s not to my liking. That way I can compare it to the original 🙂 Thanks Brandi! 🙂
Omg, Natalie, yayyyyyyy! You made my day, I’m just so happy you made the cake and loved it!! Thank you so much for making it. I know right, like I said above, it was never my intention to make the cake low-fat, LOL, but after so many trials of it not reaching that magic moisture level and texture, I finally tried with applesauce (was using yogurt which wasn’t working) and adjusted my ingredients a bit and once I took that first bite, I knew I had a winner. I couldn’t believe it either that it was so perfectly moist, yet not wet and yet no dang fat! Anyways, I certainly don’t blame you for not wanting to share, hahhaha. I’m making it tomorrow for my holiday party and to be honest, I am thinking of not even revealing the cake so I can hoard it all myself, just kidding! Maybe 😉 Thanks again Natalie, you really made me smile. I’m still dreaming of your peppermint bark and molasses cookies. Need to make one of those happen soon. Merry Christmas! xoxo
Brandi! I just pulled this out of the oven about an hour ago and I have already eaten two hefty pieces, it is HEAVEN. Gah why didn’t I bring my camera with me to my parents house so I could share a pic!! But words will have to do. It’s funny because I’ve made numerous cakes with applesauce and maple syrup and even a few experiments with spelt flour now but none have been even close to this level of soft and tender and fluffy, there is something magic about this combo in these proportions you absolutely nailed it. I’m still in awe that it’s low fat and this moist (I think that word is haunting me now lol) Last gingerbread baked treat before Xmas and this wonderful cake could not have been a more perfect choice 🙂 Thank you for the wonderful recipe, I might even share some with my sister since it’s the holidays and all, but I haven’t decided yet haha! xo
This is the easiest and most delicious holiday cake I have ever made. I followed your recipe exactly as written, why mess w/ what looks like perfection in your video? I believe one key for the great taste is using fresh spices, especially freshly ground nutmeg. Merry Christmas!🌲
Oh Luci, you totally made my day! Best ever?! Yay! It is for me too, truly. And thank you so much for saying that and making it exactly as written. I understand sometimes people need to sub, but I’m glad you recognize and respect the effort that went into me creating this cake as perfect as it is, which is why I encourage SO much to follow the recipes. I test extensively for this reason. So glad you loved my spice blend! Thank you again for making it and leaving such a kind review!