When you’re craving a simple snack cake that’s full of warm spice and rich molasses flavor, this classic moist gingerbread cake is a perfect choice. It comes together in one bowl with no mixer required and relies on molasses, dark brown sugar, buttermilk, and a blend of cozy spices. Serve it plain with a dusting of powdered sugar or finish it with maple buttercream for a more festive touch.
I first developed this cake as a large gingerbread sheet cake to decorate for a holiday party, but over time I scaled the recipe to a 9×13-inch pan and often enjoy it simply sliced and unadorned. The recipe keeps the same bold gingerbread profile: a slightly sticky top, tender crumb, and deep molasses notes. It’s the kind of cake you find yourself nibbling every time you pass the kitchen—no judgement.
This cake is versatile. A light sprinkle of powdered sugar is classic and delicious. For a richer option, top it with maple buttercream or cream cheese frosting. You can also pair it with a simple vanilla buttercream or brown-butter frosting for a nuttier finish. The base is forgiving and complements many frostings and garnishes.
Key Ingredients & Notes
- All-Purpose Flour (10.5–11% protein): Use a medium protein flour for structure without toughness. Avoid high-protein bread flours and be cautious with very low-protein pastry flours.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Combining both leaveners gives reliable lift to the dense molasses batter.
- Spice Blend: Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice create the traditional gingerbread profile. Fresh spices make a noticeable difference—stale spices will be muted.
- Unsulphured Molasses: Light unsulphured molasses gives color, moisture, and the characteristic flavor. Blackstrap is too heavy and bitter for this cake unless diluted; treacle can be used in a pinch.
- Hot Brewed Coffee: The heat helps dissolve the molasses and heightens flavor depth without making the cake taste like coffee.
- Sunflower Oil: Keeps the crumb soft and moist for days. You can substitute melted butter if desired, but oil produces a slightly lighter texture.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and reinforces the molasses notes.
- Eggs: Provide structure and richness.
- Buttermilk: Adds acidity for leavening and tenderness. Use room temperature buttermilk to help the batter mix smoothly.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste balances and rounds the spice blend.
Step-by-Step
- Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and all the spices in a large bowl and set aside.
- Combine the molasses and hot brewed coffee in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Stir in the oil and dark brown sugar until combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk, mixing until smooth.
- The wet mixture will appear bubbly and medium brown as the acids and leaveners react.
- Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- The batter should be a lighter caramel brown with small bubbles from the reaction of molasses, buttermilk, and baking soda.
- Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 9×13-inch baking pan and smooth the top.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 28–35 minutes. The center should be set and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Gingerbread Cake Toppings
- Powdered Sugar: A light dusting is simple, elegant, and delicious.
- Maple Buttercream or Cream Cheese Frosting: Maple or cream cheese frostings add richness and a complementary tang; a touch of lemon zest brightens the flavors.
- Gingerbread Cookies: Decorating with iced gingerbread cookies makes for a festive presentation and adds texture.
Jenn’s Tips
- Weigh ingredients when possible. This batter is liquid-heavy and accuracy prevents a dense or gummy cake.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temp eggs and buttermilk help the batter emulsify and bake evenly.
- Check bake time early. The cake can go from moist to overbaked quickly; start testing 5–7 minutes before the minimum time.
- Cool completely. The flavor and texture settle as the cake cools; it often tastes even better the next day.
- Use fresh spices. Spices are the dominant flavor here, so fresh jars will make the biggest impact.
Leftovers & Storage
- Room temperature: If the cake remains in the pan and is decorated, cover it with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 4–5 days.
- Freezer: Unfrosted slices freeze well. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Classic Moist Gingerbread Cake — Recipe Summary
A one-layer 9×13-inch gingerbread sheet cake made with molasses, dark brown sugar, sunflower oil, eggs, and buttermilk. Prep time about 30 minutes; bake 28–35 minutes; makes about 12 servings.
Ingredients (Summary)
- 360 g (about 3 cups minus 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour (10.5–11% protein)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 336 g (1 cup) unsulphured molasses
- 40 g (1/4 cup) hot brewed coffee
- 170 g (3/4 cup) sunflower oil
- 220 g (1 cup) dark brown sugar, packed
- 150 g (3 large) eggs
- 240 g (1 cup) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions (Summary)
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray and parchment on the bottom.
- Whisk dry ingredients together and set aside.
- Whisk hot coffee and molasses until smooth, then whisk in oil and brown sugar.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and whisk until combined.
- Fold in the dry mixture until just combined and transfer batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake 28–35 minutes until the center is set. Cool completely before slicing and decorating.
Enjoy this easy, one-bowl gingerbread cake as a cozy snack, a simple dessert, or dressed up for holiday gatherings. Its moist crumb and bold spice make it a perennial favorite.