Impress your friends and family when you make this soft, fluffy, moist, and delicious vegan gingerbread cake for dessert. This classic Christmas treat is perfect to serve during the festive season and the best part is that it’s so quick and easy to make. You can serve it with or without frosting or you can dust it with powdered sugar. It’s filled with molasses and warm gingerbread spice flavour and it’s a dairy-free, eggless recipe that can also be made gluten-free and as a layer cake.
1 ½cups (210g)gluten free flour blend OR all-purpose white flour(if using all-purpose flour, use 1 ½ cups (188g), **please see important notes about flour below**
Line an 8" x 8" square baking pan with parchment paper and make an overhang on all sides so removing the cake will be easy, set aside.
Prepare your flax eggs by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken.
In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the hot water and molasses together. Once combined, add the sugar, oil, vanilla, and flax eggs. Mix well until everything has combined.
Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth batter has formed. Don't over-mix.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan, spread it evenly, and smooth out the top.
Vegan Gluten-Free Version - Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Take care not to overbake.All-Purpose Flour Version - Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Take care not to overbake.
Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Let the pan sit for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, using the parchment overhang, carefully remove the cake from the pan, and place it on a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Once fully cooled, frost the cake, making the layer as thick or thin as you'd like. Save any leftover frosting for another recipe.
Slice the cake into 9 squares.
Notes
Please read all of the information and FAQ info above, as well as the notes below before making this recipe.
The cup amount for both types of flour is the same but the weights are different because they have different properties and densities. If you are baking by weight, please take note of each weight and weigh your flour correctly.
If you are making the vegan gluten-free version, it's important to know that different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results will always vary if you substitute. I have never used any other brand of flour to make this recipe (other than Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the red bag, NOT the blue bag), so please know that your results may not be the same as mine if you substitute with another gluten-free flour blend. This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour.
Use molasses labelled "fancy," “unsulphured,” “dark,” or “baking.” Avoid using blackstrap molasses since its flavour is so strong and can be bitter, it will also overpower the flavour of the cake.
Coconut sugar can be used instead of brown sugar, however, each type calls for a different amount, so make sure to use the correct amount for the type you are using.
Any type of neutral-flavoured oil can be used, such as safflower or sunflower. Melted coconut oil can also be used, but if you do use coconut oil, make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature so it doesn't harden when it's added to the recipe.
I recommend dairy-free cream cheese frosting for this cake, but you can use whatever type you'd like. Find other vegan frosting recipes here. If you don't want to use frosting, that's okay, you can dust the tops of each slice (or the entire cake if it will all be served immediately) with powdered sugar just before serving or you can skip all toppings and serve it plain. See the "Decorating and Serving It" section above for more info.
Storing Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days, the gluten-free version will keep for 4 days. Serve cold or bring to room temperature. If you are not frosting the cake, it can be kept at room temperature.
Freezing: Once fully cooled, don't frost or slice it, instead, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap so it's airtight, place it in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze it for up to two months. When you're ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature, then frost.
The nutrition info listed below is based on one of 9 servings made as the recipe is written using gluten-free flour, brown sugar, and no frosting. The cake made with all-purpose flour has a calorie count of 204 per serving. Info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.