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When you want a snacking cake, full of flavor, without a lot of fussy steps, make this classic moist gingerbread cake. It comes together in one bowl, no mixer needed, flavored with molasses, brown sugar, buttermilk, and plenty of cozy spices. Serve plain, with a light dusting of powdered sugar or top with maple buttercream.
I originally created this cake as a giant gingerbread sheet cake, decorated with frosting and cookies for a Christmas party. But, over the years I found myself making a smaller 9×13-inch cake and oftentimes just eating it plain. So I’ve updated the recipe size keeping the same bold gingerbread flavor, slightly sticky top, and tender crumb that we all love so much. It’s the kind of cake you munch on every time you walk through the kitchen. No judgement!
I love topping it with a light dusting of powdered sugar or a shmere of maple buttercream frosting for an extra festive touch. But this cake is such a versatile base that you can pair it with any frosting you love, a classic cream cheese, simple vanilla buttercream, or even a brown butter buttercream for something a bit different.
Key Ingredients & Test Notes
- All-Purpose Flour (10.5–11% protein): A medium protein flour gives the cake structure without making it dense. Higher-protein flours will make it tougher; lower protein can lead to collapse.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: This recipe relies on both leaveners to lift the molasses and buttermilk batter.
- Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves & Allspice
A classic gingerbread spice blend. Fresh spices make a noticeable difference—older spices will lose intensity, so check dates if your spice rack is vintage. - Unsulphured Molasses: For color, moisture and deep gingerbread flavor I use a light unsulphured molasses. My favorite brand is Grandma’s.
- Test Note: Blackstrap molasses will be too bitter and heavy, but you can cut it with a mixture of have blackstrap and half honey. Treacle will also work for this cake recipe.
- Hot Brewed Coffee: The heat helps dissolve the molasses and adds subtle depth to the gingerbread without making it taste like coffee.
- Sunflower Oil: Keeps the cake incredibly soft and moist for days.
- Test Note: I’ve also made this recipe by replacing the oil with melted butter, but found I like the texture of the oil cake better.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Adds moisture, sweetness and boosts the molasses flavor.
- Eggs: Bind the batter and add richness.
- Buttermilk: Provides acidity for leavening and keeps the crumb tender.
- Test Note: Use room temp or ever slightly warmed buttermilk. If cold, it can thicken the oil and cause a lumpy batter.
- Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste: Balances the spice intensity and enhances the overall cake flavor.
Step-by-Step
- Whisk together flour, salt, leaveners, and spices in bowl and set aside.
- Pour the molasses into a large mixing, bowl then whisk in the hot coffee until smooth.
- Stir in the oil and brown sugar until well combined. Followed by the vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk one at a time.
- You should have a bubbly medium brown liquid mixture.
- Add in the flour mixture and stir until all the flour is incorporated.
- The cake batter will be lighter caramel brown in color full of bubbles, where the molasses and buttermilk have reacted with the baking soda.
- Pour the batter into a parchment paper lined 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Bake for 28-35 minutes until the center is set when gently pressed with fingertips and a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a fee moist crumbs.
Gingerbread Cake Toppings
- Powdered Sugar (Confectioners Sugar): Serve the cake plain with a light dusting of powdered sugar is classic and delicious.
- Maple Buttercream Frosting: Add a thick or thin layer of cream cheese frosting with a bit of lemon zest. Lemon and gingerbread naturally compliment each other and the citrus helps lighten the spiced molasses flavors.
- Gingerbread Cookies: Go a step further and top your cake with cookies. I like to bake a batch of iced maple syrup gingerbread cookies to create a winter scene for a real show stopping holiday dessert.
Jenn’s Tips!
- Weigh for accuracy. This batter is liquid-heavy, so accurate flour and sugar measurements keep the cake from becoming too dense or gummy.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temp eggs and buttermilk help the batter emulsify smoothly and bake more evenly.
- Check bake time early. This cake goes from perfectly moist to overbaked quickly. Begin checking 5–7 minutes before the suggested time.
- Let it cool fully. The gingerbread’s flavor improves as it rests, and the texture sets best once completely cooled. It actually tastes even better the next day with morning coffee.
- Use fresh spices. Because spice is the dominant flavor, make sure your jars are fresh for the best flavor intensity.
Leftovers & Storage
- Room Temp: If you kept the decorated cake in the pan, simply cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 4-5 days. Otherwise place in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Unfrosted cake can be sliced and wrapped with plastic wrap, then placed in freezer in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!
Classic Moist Gingerbread Cake
A classic moist gingerbread cake topped with maple buttercream and decorated with soft gingerbread cookies.
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Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Gingerbread Sheet Cake
- 360 grams (3 cups minus 2 tablespoons) all purpose flour, 10.5-11% protein
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground all spice
- 336 grams (1 cup) unsulphured molasses, *Grandma's molasses brand
- 40 grams (¼ cup) hot brewed coffee
- 170 grams (¾ cup) sunflower oil
- 220 grams (1 cup) dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 150 grams (3 large) large eggs
- 240 grams (1 cup) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Toppings
- powdered sugar, sifted
- Maple Buttercream Frosting
- Maple Gingerbread Cookies
Instructions
Gingerbread Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃) and prepare a 9×13-inch cake pan with non-stick baking spray and line the bottom with overhanging parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, hand whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.360 grams all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground all spice
- Molasses & Coffee: Combine hot coffee and molasses in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth.336 grams unsulphured molasses, 40 grams hot brewed coffee
- Wet Ingredients: Add the oil and brown sugar to the molasses mixture, whisk until combined.170 grams sunflower oil, 220 grams dark brown sugar
- Stir in the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth.150 grams large eggs, 240 grams buttermilk, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Cake Batter: Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until all the flour is incorporated. It should look silky with lots of small bubbles. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and jiggle a little to level.
- Place the pan on the middle oven rack and bake for 28-35 minutes until the center set. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with only a couple moist crumbs.
- Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely before removing from the pan and frosting.
Assemble Cake
- Make Maple Buttercream Frosting while cake is cooling. Frost cake or top with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Notes
Ingredients Used:
- Flour: Gold Medal All Purpose Flour 10.5-11% protein
- Molasses: Grandma’s Unsulphured Molasses
Tried this recipe?Mention @twocupsflour or tag #twocupsflour!
I made this the other day and it was a big hit! So flavorful and moist! It tasted like Christmas! I just put powdered sugar on it with a little whip cream on the side! It took me back to my childhood!
Hi Diann! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for trying the recipe 🙂
Can I use all purpose flour instead of pastry flour for the cake?
Yes, you can evenly swap pastry flour for all purpose.
The gingerbread cake instructions say to blend in molasses and vanilla, however I don’t see vanilla listed in the cake ingredients. Also, is the brown sugar packed for both the cake and the cookies? Thank you!
Hi Lindsay, Yes, brown sugar should be lightly packed, or you can also weigh to be exact. Vanilla is mixed in with molasses and the maple syrup.
What a gorgeous Winter cake! It really puts me in the mood to bake some yummy gingerbread and holiday cookies. I love your snow scene and can’t wait to make it. Thank you for sharing your beautiful snowy recipe!!