The BEST Gingerbread Cake | Gluten Free Option Recipe
This Gingerbread Cake is a moist, spiced dessert perfect for the holiday season, featuring classic warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. It offers a delightful balance of sweet molasses-infused cake topped with a soft brown sugar pudding layer, providing a unique texture and flavor combination. A gluten-free option is included by substituting all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup milk, room temperature
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Pudding Topping Ingredients
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ cup hot water
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour (or gluten-free flour blend), baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and kosher salt. Set this mixture aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the molasses, milk, and egg until fully blended. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until creamy and well combined, helping to incorporate air for a light texture.
- Combine Ingredients: Alternately add the dry flour mixture and the molasses mixture to the creamed butter and sugar, beating on low speed just until everything is blended. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing without overmixing.
- Prepare to Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. If using ramekins instead, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and spoon a heaping ¼ cup of batter into each.
- Make Pudding Topping: In a bowl, combine the light brown sugar and cornstarch. Heat the water and butter together just until the butter melts, then gradually stir this hot liquid into the sugar and cornstarch mixture to dissolve and combine.
- Add Pudding Topping: Slowly pour the pudding mixture evenly over the batter in the baking pan. For ramekins, carefully spoon a scant ¼ cup of the pudding mixture over each filled ramekin.
- Bake the Cake: Place the pan or ramekins in the preheated oven and bake for 38-42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center top part of the cake comes out clean (avoid poking all the way to the bottom to prevent hitting the pudding layer).
- Serve: Remove from the oven and serve warm for the best taste and texture experience.
Notes
- You can substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend to make this cake gluten-free.
- Use room temperature milk to help the batter mix evenly.
- Ensure not to poke the toothpick all the way to the bottom when testing doneness to avoid wet pudding interference.
- This cake is best enjoyed warm, shortly after baking.
- Ramekins allow for individual portions and slightly faster baking time but require careful handling when adding pudding topping.
Keywords: Gingerbread cake, gluten free gingerbread, holiday dessert, molasses cake, spiced cake, pudding topping
