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.
It’s a great recipe and went together easily! Only issue was I didn’t have a Bundt pan so used a glass 9×9 pan greased. It wasn’t cooking in the middle and the outsides were browning so I turned the oven down at the 50 minute mark and cooked it another 6 minutes on 300. I cut off the drier browned edges and it was delicious! I will get myself a Bundt pan for next time. It will be worth it to not have to adjust recipe! I brought to a work event and didn’t have any leftovers for myself!
How would you go about freezing this to make in advance? Should I omit the glaze?
Yes definitely omit the glaze if you want to freeze this. I would let the cake cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap (2 layers) followed by a layer of tin foil. It should keep great this way. I hope this helps!
Will this delicious-sounding cake work with Cup4Cup GF flour? Thanks
Absolutely! Cup4Cup is a very high quality gluten-free flour and will work great!
What modifications need to be made for this recipe to be cupcakes or muffins instead of a cake? Thank You!
For muffins I would bake them at 375F for 20-25 minutes! Everything else can stay the same.
I have made this like 10 times every time it comes out pristine!!! Love it thank you for putting it together so beautifully!
Would applesauce work as a substitute for the eggs?
A chickpea egg, may work.
I’ve been successful, at replacing up to 3 eggs, in brownies. They looked & tasted normal.
I’ve also used it to replace (1) egg, in chocolate chip cookies. They were perfect.
Chickpea egg:
2 Tablespoons chickpea flour
2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon oil (I use olive oil)
This equals (1) egg.
I hope this helps you.
Could this be baked in 2-8 inch round pans and staked or is it too dense if a cake?
It is fabulous! I give it 10 stars!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment 🙂
can I bake this in a pan other than a bundt?
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!
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
Is there a way to make it taste good without sugar and molasses?
Unfortunately no! They are crucial ingredients for this cake.
Love It! Love it! Love it! Thank you for publishing this. You are a blessing!!!!
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
Hi, I’d like to make this gf gingerbread cake this week for a luncheon. I need to make it nut-free so I’ll substitute the extra gf flour for the almond flour, but nutmeg is a problem, too. Could I just leave it out? Thanks so much!
Yes you can definitely substitute the almond flour with more gluten-free flour. And you can leave the nutmeg out no problem! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
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!
I’m so happy you liked the gingerbread! And so fun about the kitchenaid mixer 🙂 I hope you enjoy the recipes!
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.
Could I use olive oil for this cake instead of butter?
Yes I think that will work great!
Hello, Erin :
Did you try the oil and did it work? I was going to sub it for butter but was nervous until I heard from someone else who did. If anyone else tried oil, please post and many thanks! LP