This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.
This festive gingerbread bundt cake is an extra-sweet treat for the holidays! Warm spices, molasses, and brown sugar create a moist but flavorful ginger cake everyone will love. It also happens to be dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free, but no one will be able to tell!
This moist gingerbread bundt cake recipe strikes the perfect balance of spice and molasses. It's strong enough for gingerbread lovers but mild enough for kids. With fluted edges and a deep brown hue, it's as beautiful as it is delicious! I like to sprinkle it with powdered sugar and pomegranate seeds for a bright and festive color contrast.
Latest Recipe Video!
My molasses bundt cake is gluten-free and vegan as written, but nobody has to know! It rivals any gluten-filled holiday bundt cake with its moist and tender crumb. If you aren't gluten-free, feel free to use regular all-purpose flour instead.
I like to bring this gluten free gingerbread bundt cake to holiday parties and gatherings. It vanishes quickly and nobody can tell it's allergen-friendly. Win, win!
👩🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Perfect for the holiday season
- Easy to make & freeze
- Vegan ginger cake recipe
- Both kids & adults love it
- Packed with gingerbread flavor
- Allergen friendly: Dairy-free & Gluten-Free
- Tastes just like a traditional gingerbread cake recipe
- Best Christmas bundt cake ever!
🥘 Ingredients
My gingerbread pound cake calls for simple ingredients found at your local grocery store. Here's what you need:
- Gluten-Free Flour: Be sure to use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Xanthan gum enhances the structure of gluten-free baked goods. I recommend Bob's Red Mill's 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour for its gluten-like taste and texture. If you're not gluten-free, swap with regular all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder activates once it's combined with a liquid. It causes the batter to rise in the oven, so that your vegan gingerbread cake recipe doesn't turn out dense or gummy.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda reacts with the acid in the molasses for even more lift.
- Gingerbread Spices: Nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves gives you that quintessential spice cake flavor.
- Brown Sugar: For a caramel-like sweetness!
- Vegan Butter: Softened butter gives gingerbread cake a rich and moist texture. If you aren't vegan, you can swap for regular butter. Vegetable oil should work too.
- Molasses: Dark molasses is what gives gingerbread its dark color and intense flavor. I used Grandma's unsculptured molasses. Avoid blackstrap molasses since it's far too bitter for this cake.
- Apple Sauce: Adds moisture and natural sweetness!
- Almond Milk: Almond milk thins out the batter for the right consistency. If you aren't vegan, whole milk can also be used.
📖 Variations
- Vanilla Glaze: Top this vegan gingerbread bundt cake with a vanilla glaze! Mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of almond milk and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla. Spoon the simple glaze on top of the cake.
- Toppings: Sliced bananas, vanilla sauce, cream cheese glaze, caramel, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, maple glaze, rum glaze, or cream cheese icing all pair well with this ginger cake recipe!
- Chocolate Gingerbread Bundt Cake: Swap 1/2 cup of the flour with 1/2 cup of dark cocoa powder. Add 1 cup of vegan chocolate chips.
🔪 Instructions
This gorgeous gingerbread bundt cake is a breeze to make. Here's step-by-step instructions to walk you through it.
Preheat Oven, Combine Dry Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a bundt cake pan and set it aside. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
Cream Butter & Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar over medium speed until light and fluffy. Alternatively, you can use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer.
Add Molasses: Whisk the molasses into the butter mixture, then add the apple sauce.
Add Almond Milk: Add the almond milk and half of the flour mixture. Whisk until incorporated.
Add Dry Ingredients, Prep For Baking: Add the remaining dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until a smooth batter forms. Pour the vegan ginger cake batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Bake Cake: Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let Cake Cool: Let the delicious cake cool for 10 minutes before flipping it onto a wire rack to cool completely. This gives the cake time to set up so it doesn't fall apart. Serve on a cake plate, decorate the cooled cake with powdered sugar (or any optional toppings - see variations above) and enjoy!
❓ Recipe FAQs
What is the difference between a regular cake and a bundt cake?
The main difference between a regular cake and a bundt cake is the shape. A bundt cake is made in a round fluted pan with a hole in the middle called a bundt pan. It resembles a large donut with fluted edges and looks fancy even before it's decorated. Many bundt cake recipes tend to be more like pound cake in texture, but this isn't always the case.
How do you make gluten-free cake less dense?
There are many ways to make a gluten-free cake lighter and fluffier. One crucial aspect of a gluten-free cake is the brand of flour you use. Gluten-free all-purpose flour is a blend of alternative flours and starches that mimic wheat-based flour. Look for one that includes xanthan gum and a combination of sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, and a starch. I recommend Bob's Red Mill's 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour.
How should I store a ginger bundt cake?
Let this vegan gingerbread cake cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It doesn't need to be refrigerated.
Can I freeze this ginger bundt cake recipe?
Yes, gingerbread cake freezes well! Let it come to room temperature first, then freeze it whole or cut into slices. Wrap the leftover cake or slices in plastic wrap then transfer them to a ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let the cake thaw on the counter.
💭 Expert Tips
- Generously grease the bundt cake pan or liberally spray with baking spray. If you don't, the molasses pound cake will be difficult to unmold.
- It's important to scrape down the mixing bowl in between each addition of ingredients to ensure an evenly mixed batter.
- The vegan gingerbread cake batter may look slightly curdled when mixing the wet ingredients into the vegan butter mixture but it will come together when the dry ingredients are added.
- If this holiday dessert begins to brown on top before being completely cooked, cover with a sheet of foil.
