This gluten-free gingerbread cake is rich with molasses, cinnamon and ginger. It tastes just like old-fashioned gingerbread cake and makes an elegant holiday breakfast or dessert!
Gingerbread cake is one of my favorite things to make during the holiday season. It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert and is a great easy cake to bring to parties and holiday meals.
This gingerbread cake recipe turns out like old-fashioned traditional gingerbread. It’s rich in ginger and molasses flavor and has a moist crumb and lovely texture. You’d never guess it’s gluten-free!
This gluten-free gingerbread is delicious topped with a cream cheese glaze or simply dusted with powdered sugar. Either way you make it it’s sure to disappear at your holiday gathering!
For another bundt cake, try this gluten-free pumpkin cake! You also might like this gluten-free apple cake.
For more holiday recipes, try these gluten-free gingerbread bars, this gluten-free yule log, these gluten-free Little Debbie Christmas trees, these gluten-free ginger snaps, these gluten-free sugar cookies or these gluten-free Christmas cookies.
Video: How to Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients You’ll Need
Gluten-Free gingerbread cake has a few very specific, classic ingredients. I also have some ingredients I include in this gluten-free version to help it turn out perfect every time.
- A high-quality gluten-free 1:1 baking flour: I like to use gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend like King Arthur Flour in my baked goods. It works best to use a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum in this recipe.
- Almond flour: Adding a little almond flour gives this cake richness and flavor. If you’re looking to make this nut-free see the recipe card for instructions. It will still turn out great!
- Ginger + Spices: Ground ginger, of course, is the main spice in gingerbread! And this recipe has plenty of it. A few other seasonal spices like cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg also round out the flavor.
- Lemon juice: A little lemon juice gives gluten-free baked goods some extra lift and helps the crumb to be tender rather than dense.
- Molasses: A quintessential ingredient in gingerbread! I use easy-to-find unsulphured molasses. I don’t recommend blackstrap molasses. I also use unsulphured in these gluten-free gingerbread cookies.
- Hot water: If you look at any classic gingerbread recipe they all use boiling water to thin the cake. This gluten-free version uses the same trick!
How to Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cake
These how-to numbered pictures match up with the instructions below.
- Mix together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add the butter (or shortening) and white sugar or to the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer). Mix to combine.
- Mix in the molasses, eggs (room temperature) and vanilla.
- Gradually add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time.
- Slowly drizzle in 1 cup of hot water.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake. It will smell amazing!
Once the cake is cooled you can top it with a dusting of powdered sugar for a simple cake or drizzle it with some cream cheese frosting for a more decadent dessert. Either way is delicious!
If you don’t have a bundt pan, you can also make this classic gingerbread cake in a 9×9 square pan.
You also might like this gluten-free cranberry orange bread.
More gluten-free holiday recipes
I hope you love this gluten-free gingerbread cake recipe as much as we do. If you try it, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cake
Video
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups (300g) gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- 1/2 cup (48g) almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
Other:
- 1 1/2 cups (320g) brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup (113g) butter (1 stick) softened
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (120ml) molasses
- 1 cup (235ml) hot water
Cream Cheese Glaze (Optional):
- 1/4 cup (56g) butter softened
- 1/4 cup (56g) cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar sifted if needed
- 1-2 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 10 to 12 cup bundt pan.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the brown sugar and butter. Mix until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Mix in the lemon juice and molasses. Mix well to combine, scrapping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour mixture in three additions alternately with the water starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with, at most, a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
- MAKE THE GLAZE: Using a hand or stand mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese. Make sure they are both softened so the glaze isn't lumpy. Add the powdered sugar and mix to combine. Thin the mixture with 1-2 tablespoons of hot water. Microwave the glaze for 15 seconds to make to pourable (but not too hot), then drizzle over the cake.
Notes
Nutrition
RECIPE ORIGINALLY PUBLISH 11/2015. Post updated 11/2022.
Can you use plant base butter sticks ie: becel baking sticks. or should i stick with shortening for dairy free?
Hi Nellie, we haven’t tried plant-based butter sticks, so we can’t say for sure. We’d love to hear how it turns out!
This recipe looks delicious and I wonder if I could use this recipe in parchment muffin cups instead of making a bundt cake? Thank you for your reply!
Hi Dale Anne, yes you can definitely use muffin cups instead! We recommend baking 18-22 minutes.
Can I make this using flax seed “egg”?
Hi Dottie, we don’t typically bake with egg substitutes. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
The top of the recipe says 20 mins prep, 30 mins cook time. The instructions say bake for 50-55 mins using a Bundt pan. How long do you bake it using a 9×9 pan?
Hi Wanda, good question! We’d check it around the 35-40 minute mark and add time as needed. We hope you enjoy the cake!
Sooo good! We usually make gingerbread cookies, but this cake was even better. I froze portions of it after it cooled and it stayed really moist all week.
We’re so pleased to hear how much you all loved the cake, Natasha! Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us. Happy baking!
Loved by so many at our Christmas celebration! It was easy and delicious. Thanks Erin for an awesome recipe!
Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us, Janet! We’re so glad the recipe was such a hit!
Wow if you like gingerbread you will love this. I made it dairy free and it is so good
We’re so glad you loved it Bridy! Thank you for sharing such kind feedback with us!
I made this for Christmas brunch at work, followed the recipe to a T, and it turned out PERFECT. I was so impressed, my co-workers were so impressed. It was a huge hit. Everyone said if I hadn’t said it was gluten free they wouldn’t have known. The flavors are also spot on. Just spicy enough and not overly sweet. The cake was moist and had the right amount of crumb. It wasn’t too dense and stodgy. I usually use bobs red mill but tried King Arthur for this recipe per the author’s suggestion, and it worked very well! 10/10!
Yay! We’re so happy to hear this recipe was such a hit! Thank you for sharing your positive review with us, Jordan!
Erin,
Have you tried using maple sugar for any desserts instead of regular sugar? It has been a good alternative for me in the past. I’m wondering how well it might work for your recipes.
Hi Jessica, we don’t typically bake with sugar substitutes to say how maple syrup will do. We have great readers though and they’ll often share in the comments sugar substitutes that work for them in Erin’s recipes. Happy baking!
This is a crowd pleaser. I make homemade whip cream since I don’t use icing.
Yay! We’re so glad everyone loved the recipe, Susan! Thanks for sharing!
Hi!
I’m working on the cake now and just noticed vanilla is mentioned in the top part of the directions but not listed in the ingredients or in the lower section of the directions. I want to make sure it’s not supposed to go in… thank you!
Hi Lexie, good question! The vanilla is a typo. The recipe card with the ingredients list and instructions are correct. Thank you!
How long does this last? Does it need to be in the fridge or can it sit out on the counter?
Thanks
Hi Angie, good question! Unglazed, the cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If the cake includes the glaze or you want to keep the unglazed cake longer than 3 days, we’d recommend storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Happy baking!