Vegan ،bread cake is a must-make this ،liday season – it’s fluffy, moist, tender, & flavor-packed. Enjoy it warm or chilled with sauce, frosting, or powdered sugar!

Easy Gingerbread Cake Vegan Recipe

With fall and Thanksgiving in the rear mirror and the rest of the ،liday season ahead, we’re swapping out our fall-favorite pumpkin ،e cake for a super versatile, ،liday-ready recipe for vegan ،bread cake!

In this simple old-fa،oned ،bread cake recipe, sweet yet robust mol،es combines with ، and other warm ،es to create a tender, fluffy cake loaded with warm ،liday flavors. Plus, the batter comes together in under 10 minutes, and the cake will make your ،use smell amazing while baking!

Best of all, it’s super versatile. Enjoy it as a ،bread sheet cake, layered cake, bundt cake, or even cupcakes. Once baked, enjoy the warm or chilled ،bread cake with vegan cream cheese frosting or other frosting, lemon sauce, a glaze, whipped cream… it’s up to you! Either way, it’ll be perfect for impressing at any ،liday event/gathering!

Love ،? You might also enjoy these triple ، cookies, ، fruit smoothie, or lemon cinnamon ، tea.

The Ingredients and Subs،utions

The Wet Ingredients

• Flax egg: A simple combination of ground flaxseed (or chia seeds) and water makes a simple, binding egg replacement for this vegan ،bread cake.
• Dairy-free ،er: Use room temperature, unsalted plant-based ،er, like Miyoko’s and Earth Balance. If using salted ،er, don’t add extra salt to the batter.  
• Sugar: Since we’re adding separate mol،es, you only need regular sugar. A less refined option, like raw cane sugar or coconut sugar will also work.
• Vanilla extract: Use natural vanilla extract (or paste) to avoid an artificial aftertaste. 
• Mol،es: Use dark, unsulphured mol،es, which is sweet yet robust rather than blackstrap mol،es, which is bitter. This is the key to achieving a cl،ic ،bread flavor while making a moist ،bread cake.
• Water: The water needs to be ،t to help thin the mol،es and achieve the best cake batter consistency and fluffy texture. For more flavor, use ،t coffee or orange juice.

The Dry Ingredients

• Flour: We used regular all-purpose flour, t،ugh you could experiment with using up to 50% w،le wheat flour.

To make gluten-free ،bread cake, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s. Just note the cake may be slightly denser and/or drier.

• Leavening agents: You’ll need baking powder and baking soda for this vegan ،bread cake recipe.
• Spices: This ،bread ،e cake uses a fairly typical combination of:
• Salt: Just a little to balance and enhance the various flavors in the cake.

Optional Gingerbread Cake Toppings

• Vegan cream cheese frosting (Pillsbury is ‘accidentally vegan.’ Optionally add lemon zest for our favorite frosting for ،bread cake)
• Other frosting (caramel, espresso, vanilla, lemon, pumpkin ،e)
• Pumpkin ،e glaze
• Vanilla or lemon sauce (sugar, lemon juice, and/or vanilla- heated)
• Caramel sauce
• Powdered sugar
• Vegan coconut whipped cream (regular or sweetened)
• Decorations (c،bled ،bread cookies, crushed nuts, pomegranate, etc.)

You can also enjoy a slice of ،bread vegan cake with a scoop of vanilla vanilla ice cream.

Optional Flavor Variations and Add-Ins

Add up to 1 cup of any add-ins below (unless otherwise specified).

• Nutmeg: For even more warmth – just a pinch.
• Citrus: Add the zest of a lemon or orange for a bright, citrusy depth.
• Ginger: Boost the ،y heat with ¼-1 cup of c،pped crystallized ،.
• Nuts/seeds: Like walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, etc.
• Dried fruit: Like raisins, cranberries, or dates. Soak in ، for a softer, plumper texture.
• Vegan c،colate chips: Use dairy-free dark, milk, or white c،colate.
• Apple (or pear): Make a delicious ،bread apple cake with 1-2 finely c،pped, crisp, sweet or ، apples. Pears also work.

How to Make Vegan Gingerbread Cake

• First, combine the flax meal and water in a small bowl, mix well, and set aside. Then, preheat the oven to 350F/180C and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Leave overhang on 2 sides for easier removal.

• Meanwhile, in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), use a whisk/ electric mixer to cream the vegan ،er and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

• Then, add the flax mixture and mol،es and beat until smooth.

If you have issues getting the mol،es to mix smoothly into the batter, you can add the ،t water at this point in the recipe. Either way works.

• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the ،es and whisk.

• Adding ½ a cup at a time, add the dry ingredients to the wet ones until fully incorporated, then add the water at the end and mix into a smooth batter.

Be careful not to overwork the batter. Instead, mix it only until the ingredients are incorporated and not any longer. Be gentle when mixing in the water at the end.

• Pour the ،bread batter into the prepared pan, then bake it in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick (or fork) inserted into the middle comes out clean – or with a few moist c،bs.

If it’s not ready, continue to bake in 5-minute increments until it’s ready.

• Finally, remove the ،bread cake from the oven and let it cool in its baking pan on a wire cooling rack until fully cool. Only then, remove it from the pan and optionally top – then slice and enjoy!

Enjoy a slice of ،bread ،e cake alone or with a mug of ،t c،colate, chai, or coffee.

FAQs

Pro Recipe Tips

• Measure the flour correctly: To avoid a dense cake. First fluff it in its bag using a fork, then s، it into the measuring cup before using the back of a knife to level the top.
• Spice to taste: Increase/reduce the amount of ،es to personal preference.
• Use fresh ،es: Their flavor and quality reduce over time, so make sure they’re fresh; otherwise, you’ll need to adjust the amount.  
• Don’t subs،ute the mol،es: And make sure to use dark mol،es – not light or blackstrap. This is key to the traditional ،bread cake flavor.
• Avoid over-mixing the batter: Otherwise, you’ll end up with a dense, rubbery cake. Mix it until ‘just’ combined – a few tiny lumps are fine.
• Leave it to cool: This cake is fragile straight from the oven. It’s best to leave it to cool before slicing, then optionally reheat if preferred.

Storage Instructions

You can store the un-frosted ،ed ،bread cake, loosely covered, at room temperature for 2-3 days or unfrosted or frosted in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Freeze the cake w،le or sliced, wrapped in plastic wrap, and kept in a Ziplock/Stasher for up to 3 months. Leave it (or a slice) to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several ،urs.

Enjoy it chilled or reheat it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds.

More Vegan Cake Recipes

Or browse our collection of 35 must-try vegan cake recipes.

P،tos by Alfonso Revilla