I’m not a big cake fan, but there are a few exceptions. One is gingerbread. Most cakes are fluffy and lack substance, in my opinion. But this iconic holiday dessert has the depth of warm spices and a rich flavor that adds some heft to the experience. And this vegan gingerbread cake recipe has even more allure with a touch of earthiness from whole wheat pastry flour and comforting maple syrup.
Vegan Gingerbread Cake made without Dairy, Eggs, or Refined Ingredients
This is one of those “cakes” or that you could justify enjoying for breakfast. In fact, I’ve been known to drizzle a slice of this vegan gingerbread cake with some runny nut butter for a fulfilling treat around the holidays. The ingredients are already so wholesome that I don’t have too many substitution tips, but I do have some ingredient notes to help you achieve the best results.
- Oil – Use whatever type you like to bake with. But if you opt to use coconut oil, make sure to melt and then measure it, and bring your milk beverage to room temperature before stirring the wet ingredients together. If it’s cold, the coconut oil will “bead up” or solidify into little bits as you stir.
- Molasses – Use a regular “light” baking molasses, like Grandma’s for the most seamless results. This recipe is relatively low in sweetener, so blackstrap molasses tends to overpower the flavor. That said, if you’re a blackstrap fan and looking for a breakfast cake, feel free to use it!
Special Diet Notes: Vegan Gingerbread Cake
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
- 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (can sub white wheat flour or all-purpose flour)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅔ cup dairy-free milk beverage
- ⅓ cup oil
- ⅓ cup molasses
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Powered sugar, for topping (optional)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves, and allspice.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk beverage, oiol, molasses, maple syrup, fresh ginger, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until blended.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and even it out.
- Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool. Slice into thirds each way to create 9 squares. Before serving, sprinkle a little powdered sugar on through a fine mesh sieve.
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