Vegan Gingerbread Cake with Spiced Maple Drizzle
This Vegan Gingerbread Cake is rich, moist, and bursting with warm holiday spices. With deep molasses flavor and a perfectly tender moist crumb, it’s the ultimate old-fashioned dessert for cozy winter gatherings. Serve it with vegan whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, and warm spiced maple drizzle, for an easy make-ahead holiday showstopper.
Servings: 1 9x13-inch cake (serves 12 to 24, depending on how large you slice the pieces)
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup plant-based milk (such as oat or soy)
- ¾ cup unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
- ½ cup light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Spiced Maple Drizzle (optional):
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch nutmeg
- vegan whipped cream or vegan vanilla ice cream optional, for serving
Instructions
- To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease or line a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan with parchment.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together plant-based milk, molasses, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
- Combine: Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until just combined. Do not overmix, it's ok if there are lumps. Overmixing can make the cake too dense.
- Bake: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 32–38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan.
- For the Spiced Maple Drizzle (optional): Warm maple syrup with cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan or microwave.
- Serve: Cut the cake into slices and serve as is, or with whipped cream, ice cream, and/or warm spiced maple drizzle.
Notes
Storage: Cover and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. The cake also freezes well for up to 3 months.
Gluten-Free: A 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with xanthan gum (such as Bob's Red Mill), should work, though the cake may be slightly more delicate. I haven’t tested this variation yet, so results may vary.
Frosting Option: Want more of a traditional frosted cake? This pairs beautifully with my Vegan Buttercream Frosting
Molasses Note: Use light unsulphured molasses (often labeled “original” or “mild”). Avoid blackstrap molasses, it’s too bitter for this style of cake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving with spiced maple syrup (recipe makes 24 servings) | Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 178mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 39IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
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