Sustainability made simple

Mouthwatering Gingerbread Cake Recipe

Round cake with one slice slightly removed. The cake is dusted with icing sugar.
CC0 Public Domain / Pixabay - teacup

This easy gingerbread cake recipe will put Grandma’s homemade treats to the test. No matter how you make your homemade gingerbread, chances are it disappears pretty quickly. Here’s our delicious gingerbread recipe — enjoy!

Gingerbread Cake: A Holiday Tradition

Gingerbread man gingerbread recipe homemade
Give this classic Christmas gingerbread recipe a try. (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Unsplash - Aaron Burden)

Nothing beats the smell of the fresh gingerbread cake wafting from the kitchen through the whole house. Ring in the holiday season with a tasty baking project you can finish in under an hour. Even though we know Grandma’s homemade gingerbread recipe will always be the best, here’s Utopia’s own take on a fresh and festive holiday favorite.

Homemade Gingerbread Cake Ingredients

Homemade gingerbread easy recipe ingredients
This gingerbread cake recipe leaves plenty of time for decorating the house or wrapping presents. (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Unsplash - Heather Barnes (L); Indivar Kaushik (M); Kristiana Pinne (R))

For this simple and easy gingerbread recipe, gather the following ingredients:

Yield: 9 servings or one 9x9x2 inch baking pan
Time: 50 minutes

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (not self-rising flour)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 cup dark molasses
  • 3/4 cup hot water
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • Optional: 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Utopia Tip: Kick off the holiday baking season right with a sparkling clean oven! Conventional chemical cleaners may do the trick, but what if you had all the necessary ingredients for a DIY oven cleaner right there in your pantry? All-natural homemade oven cleaners leave your oven squeaky clean and save money.

Gingerbread Recipe Instructions

cracking egg
This homemade gingerbread is easy: simply toss everything in a bowl, mix it up, pour it into a pan and throw it in the oven! (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Unsplash - Jordane Mathieu)

This homemade gingerbread cake recipe couldn’t be easier. Just toss everything into a bowl and mix — it’s as simple as that!

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Grease and flour a 9x9x2 inch baking pan.
  3. In a large mixer bowl, combine all measured ingredients and blend for around 30 seconds on low speed while scraping the sides of the bowl.
  4. Mix for three minutes at medium speed.
  5. Pour into the pan. Scrape the inside of the bowl (lick the spoon if preferred).
  6. Bake for 50 minutes at 325°F.
  7. Check baking consistency with a wooden toothpick — if the pick comes out clean, your homemade gingerbread is done!

This tasty gingerbread recipe is best served warm. Sprinkle it with icing sugar (pictured) or top it with vegan cream cheese frosting, whipped cream or vegan cool whip.

Gingerbread Cake Recipe Variations

Homemade gingerbread variations lebkuchen
Traditional German Lebkuchen are great examples of tasty holiday treats you can make to impress your guests! (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Pixabay - StockSnap)

Want to try something new this year? Here are some tips for tasty variations on the classic gingerbread cake:

  • Use honey instead of molasses. When buying honey, always check where the product is from and whether it is fair trade.
  • Sprinkle your finished gingerbread with powdered sugar. That looks good and tastes great.
  • Want to save some energy? Then don’t preheat the oven. If you put your gingerbread in right away, the baking time will be a few minutes longer, but the dish will turn out just as well.

Soft, moist gingerbread cake is most commonly found in US and Canada. But there are countless variations. One popular gingerbread recipe is traditional German Lebkuchen — the most famous gingerbread cookies in Europe. These German Christmas cookies are soft and moist on the inside, packed with nuts, candied fruit and flavorful spices. Plus, they’re a breeze to make from scratch. Here’s our traditional recipe: Lebkuchen Recipe: Traditional German Gingerbread Cookies

Have an urge for more baking? It’s never too late in the season to give this vegan apple pie recipe a try.

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