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 ginger snaps, gluten-free sugar cookies and gluten-free Christmas cookies.
Video: How to Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cake
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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.
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 gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- 1/2 cup 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 brown sugar packed
- 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 cup hot water
Cream Cheese Glaze (Optional):
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup cream cheese softened
- 1/2 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.
Notes
Nutrition
RECIPE ORIGINALLY PUBLISH 11/2015. Post updated 11/2022.
I have a son who is gluten free and also has rice allergy. So many of the GF flours have rice. Can you suggest another 1:1 flour. We have been using oat for waffles and pancakes. We love your almond butter no flour cookies. Please help us find some more awesome tasty treats.
Can I use King Arthur gluten-free flour not the the 1:1??
You can use King Arthur Measure-for-Measure flour. Do not use King Arthur All Purpose gluten-free flour because it does not contain xanthan gum. I hope this helps!
can i add xantham gum myself to my King Arthur AP gluten free flour
Made this for Christmas and it was so delicious! The flavours were perfect and so moist, I had to stop myself from eating it all!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! That happens to me when I make this too – ha!
Question – I don’t have almond flour on hand and will be using 1:1 GF flour. So, the total amount then is 2 1/3 cups the flour or 2 1/2 cups + 1/3 cup?
If you’re not using almond flour the total amount of gluten-free 1:1 baking flour will be 2 1/3 cups. Gluten-free flour is more dense than almond flour so you need 1/3 cup of it to replace the 1/2 cup almond flour. Sorry for the confusion!
This Gingerbread Bundt Cake is delicious!!! I followed it exactly and the flavor and texture were perfect for Christmas morning. My two daughters that are gluten free couldn’t get enough of it. Will definitely be making this again!
I’m so happy you and your daughters enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I made this cake as part of hosting, and my Christmas 2022 spread. My daughter ate two slices. The cake is incredibly moist and so good – and that icing drizzle – WOW! Anyway, I made the cake the night before and wrapped in foil to keep it fresh. Then plated in the morning, and added the drizzle then. The cake kept moist and good covered under the cake dome until the evening. Definitely will make this again!
This cake was absolutely delicious! Really moist with great texture, and the balance of spices was spot on. It was great served with freshly whipped cream.
Do you think this recipe will work fine with AP flour instead of the 1:1 GF flour? Gluten free isn’t required here! 🙂 Thx in advance!
It’s hard to say! It’s been 10 years since I’ve baked with regular flour and this recipe is specifically designed to use gluten-free flour. Sorry about that!
Can this be made with regular flour instead of gf? If so, would the method be the same? Thank you ☺️
Hmm I’m honestly not sure! It’s been over 10 years since I’ve baked with regular flour. Sorry about that!
Is the baking time the same if using a 9×9 pan?
I think the bake time will be slightly less. I would check it at 40 minutes and then add time as needed. I hope this helps!
A huge holiday hit! A few questions as I’m making again and can’t remember what I did last year.
What is the proper temperature for the hot water?
Is brown sugar packed?
Do you start with cold butter? or softened?
Have you tried with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 ?
Thanks so much! Love your recipes!
Hi Gina! These are great questions! The water should be hot, but not boiling. Brown sugar is packed, butter should be softened, Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 will work great! I hope this helps. Enjoy your holiday!
It was just a smidge dry. I’m wondering if there is something that I could add to make it more moist? It tasted delicious…just a tad more moist and it would have be e n perfect!
Oh my goodness this is perfection! I made it exactly as written and used the only 1:1 flour I had on hand. Krusteaz hasn’t been my favorite GF flour, but it was fantastic in this recipe. My husband liked it so much he said to make sure I put it in my notebook of great recipes. Thank you so much for it. I didn’t have to bake it as long as the recipe called for. About 42 minutes, I just watched closely and took it out when toothpick came out clean.
I’m so glad the cake turned out for you! So honored it’s going in the notebook of recipes 🙂 Thanks for the comment!