This Gingerbread Cake is incredibly moist, perfectly spiced, and topped with a simple orange icing. The perfect holiday dessert!
I’m not typically a cake person (give me cookies, brownies, and ice cream please), but this gingerbread cake absolutely blew me away. It’s moist yet fluffy, packed with spices, and drizzled in a two ingredient glaze that takes it over the top!
Pro tip: warm it up in the microwave and serve next to a little vanilla ice cream and maybe a drizzle of caramel sauce?!
What’s the difference between gingerbread and gingerbread cake?
Gingerbread refers to an entire category of baked goods. Gingerbread could be cake, cookies, muffins, etc. Gingerbread cake is a cake made with butter, a variety of spices such as ginger and cinnamon, and molasses.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake
- Butter – adds a rich, buttery flavor while also creating a dense, moist texture. Using unsalted butter allows you to control how much salt goes into the recipe. If salted butter is the only butter available, simply reduce the salt by 1/4 teaspoon per 1/2 cup of butter called for.
- Brown Sugar – sweetens the cake and compliments the rich molasses flavor. Brown sugar also adds additional moisture to the cake. Dark brown sugar was used in the original recipe to really accentuate the molasses flavor, but light brown sugar may also be used.
- Applesauce – provides additional moisture and subtle sweetness to the cake without adding much flavor. If you’re in a pinch, pumpkin purée could be used as a substitute.
- Egg – adds structure and tenderness to the cake. Be sure to use 1 large egg that’s been brought to room temperature for the best results.
- Molasses – a thick, dark syrup that is a by-product from processing sugar beets or sugar cane. Do not use sulphured or blackstrap molasses to avoid a very strong bitter flavor. Most molasses you’ll find at the grocery store is “regular” unsulphured molasses.
- Vanilla – adds flavor depth and a touch of sweetness. Pure vanilla extract or imitation vanilla may be used based.
- Flour – all-purpose flour is the perfect base for all different kinds of baked goods, especially cake. I don’t recommend any substitutes. For best results, use the spoon and level technique to avoid over-measuring your flour.
- Baking Soda – our leavening agent, which keeps the cake from becoming too dense; baking soda creates a cake that is nice and fluffy!
- Spices: Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Nutmeg, and Salt – this combination of spices is classic for a gingerbread cake! If cloves are too strong for you liking, try using all-spice instead.
- Water – hot water brings out the flavors of the spices in the cake while also creating a soft and fluffy texture.
Glaze
- Powdered Sugar – our sweetener! I don’t recommend a substitute; brown sugar or granulated sugar would create a grainy texture.
- Orange Juice – thins the powdered sugar to create a smooth glaze and also adds a subtle, bright orange flavor that compliments the spices in the gingerbread cake so well!
Pro tip
See What Icing Goes with Gingerbread for other frosting ideas!
How to make
Gingerbread Cake
- Whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, applesauce, egg, molasses, and vanilla extract in a large bowl, then whisk in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and hot water.
- Pour batter into a greased 9×13 baking dish then bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Orange Glaze
- Place powdered sugar and orange juice into a medium sized bowl then whisk until smooth.
- Pour over cooled cake, then serve and enjoy room temperature or warm!
Pro tip
Don’t over-mix your batter or over-bake your cake! Both will lead to a dense, dry cake.
What icing goes with gingerbread cake?
Gingerbread cake can be frosted in virtually any icing or frosting and is sometimes served with a simple dusting of powdered sugar or served plain next to a caramel sauce.
- Orange Icing – this is what I used in the original recipe. I love the orange flavor with the gingerbread spices and I love that it adds additional sweetness without being TOO sweet.
- Cream Cheese Frosting – the cream cheese frosting from my gingerbread cookie bars would make a wonderful topping for this cake. The tanginess of the cream cheese would compliment the coziness of the cake beautifully.
- Buttercream Frosting – if you like things on the sweeter side, try my classic vanilla frosting! You could even take this up a notch and flavor it with lemon, orange, coffee, or any other flavor you think would go well with gingerbread.
- Caramel Sauce and Whipped Cream – warm cake drizzled in caramel sauce with a dollop of whipped cream? Sign me up!
- Powdered Sugar – want to keep it super simple? Try dusting the cooled cake with powdered sugar.
Pro tip
Whatever you decide, this cake is delicious room temperature or warm! If you’re looking for extra indulgence, don’t forget the ice cream!
How to store
Leftover cake will last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or 3 months in the freezer. I don’t recommend refrigerating (unless you’re choosing to frost this with a cream cheese frosting), because it may dry out the cake.
To enjoy again, thaw, if frozen, then eat at room temperature or warmed in the microwave.
– Jennifer
Gingerbread Cake
This Gingerbread Cake is incredibly moist, perfectly spiced, and topped with a simple orange icing. The perfect holiday dessert!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 15 people
Equipment for this recipe
(equipment shown are affiliate links)
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 cup molasses not unsulphured/blackstrap*
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves **
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hot water
Orange Glaze***
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
Gingerbread Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place melted butter, brown sugar, applesauce, egg, molasses, and vanilla extract into a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt and whisk a few times to start to combine the mixture.
- Slowly pour in the hot water, then whisk until the batter is *just* combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking dish then bake in the preheated over for 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out *almost* clean.
- Cool before drizzling with glaze, then serve room temperature or warm.
Orange Glaze
- Place powdered sugar and orange juice into a medium sized bowl then whisk until smooth. Add more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze or more orange juice for a thinner glaze.
- Pour over cooled cake, then serve and enjoy room temperature or warm!
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STORING
Room Temp:4 Days
Refrigerator:N/A
Freezer:3 Months
Reheat:Thaw, if frozen, then serve room temperature or warmed in the microwave
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions
Notes
*I’ve successfully replaced 1/2 the molasses with pure maple syrup when I ran out! **Allspice is a great substitute if you don’t have cloves or if cloves is too strong of a flavor for you. ***See What Icing Goes with Gingerbread Cake for different frosting suggestions.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Gingerbread Cake
Amount Per Serving (1 piece)
Calories 301 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 29mg10%
Sodium 205mg9%
Potassium 391mg11%
Carbohydrates 58g19%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 41g46%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 221IU4%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 67mg7%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Keywords: christmas cake, gingerbread, orange icing, spiced cake, winter cake