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 holidays. 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 nice crumb and 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!
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 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: Ginger, of course, is the main spice in gingerbread! And this recipe has plenty of it. A few other seasonal spices like cinnamon, 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.
- Hot water: If you look at any classic gingerbread recipe they all use hot 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 bowl.
- Add the butter (or shortening) and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix to combine.
- Mix in the molasses, egg and vanilla.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients, ½ cup at a time.
- Slowly drizzle in 1 cup of hot water.
- 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 glaze for a more decadent dessert. Either way is delicious!
More Gluten-Free Holiday Recipes:
- Gluten-Free Sticky Toffee Pudding makes a show-stopping holiday dessert.
- Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls – soft, fluffy and the perfect with any holiday meal.
- Gluten-Free Drop-Style Sugar Cookies – festive, chewy and buttery!
- You can find my whole collection of Gluten-Free Holiday Recipes here!
If you make this recipe or have any questions leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
Other:
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 stick butter, (8 tablespoons, ½ cup)
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 cup hot water
Cream Cheese Glaze (Optional):
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup 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.
Video
Recipe Notes
RECIPE ORIGINALLY PUBLISH 11/2015. Post updated 11/2019.
Laura B says
Would applesauce work as a substitute for the eggs?
Liz says
Could this be baked in 2-8 inch round pans and staked or is it too dense if a cake?
Lois says
It is fabulous! I give it 10 stars!
Erin Collins says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Wilma Liles says
can I bake this in a pan other than a bundt?
Erin Collins says
You can also bake this in a 10-by-15-inch jellyroll pan. I would bake it at 375F for 20 minutes. I hope this helps!
Glenda says
Very happy with the outcome of this recipe….used my own G/F mix the result was a flavour just as I would want and expect for a Gingerbread cake also the texture and colour was like “NOT “ G/F.
A big THANK YOU To Erin for all the hard work you put into your recipes and the the added bonus of explanation and video, but also for the effort it takes for you to share so others can enjoy
Susan says
Is there a way to make it taste good without sugar and molasses?
Erin Collins says
Unfortunately no! They are crucial ingredients for this cake.
Norma Harris says
Love It! Love it! Love it! Thank you for publishing this. You are a blessing!!!!
Peggy says
The. Best Ever Ever Ginger Cake. Honestly we made it for New Years dessert. I was the only one celiac and the others thought yea whatever I’ll just have the Carmel topping (skid gluten free ) Every one absolutely loved it. We had it later in the same evening as well. So delicious. I can’t stop thinking about it. I will make it again soon ..,., real soon
Christine says
Made this today. It was so good my hubby had two slices, and he doesn’t eat sweets. Thank you for making these yummy recipes available.
Better yet, when I told him I had found recipes for good rolls and bread, he bought me a professional Kitchenaid 6 quart mixer (refurbished by Kitchenaid so great price). Score and score!
Erin Collins says
I’m so happy you liked the gingerbread! And so fun about the kitchenaid mixer 🙂 I hope you enjoy the recipes!
Christine says
So far I’ve made the yeast rolls and gingerbread. Both were so good I’ve shared your website with many of my GF friends. It’s so exciting to finally find good tasting (and textured) GF recipes. No more cardboard tasting food.
Magda Dumka says
Could I use olive oil for this cake instead of butter?
Erin Collins says
Yes I think that will work great!