When you want an easy, flavorful snack cake without a lot of fuss, make this classic moist gingerbread cake. It’s mixed in one bowl—no mixer required—and is rich with molasses, brown sugar, buttermilk, and warm spices. Serve it plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or finish with maple buttercream for a festive touch.
I first made this as a large sheet cake for a Christmas party, decorated with frosting and cookies. Over time I adapted it to a 9×13-inch pan and often enjoy it plain. The recipe keeps the same bold gingerbread flavor, slightly sticky top, and tender crumb. It’s the kind of cake you nibble anytime you pass the kitchen—totally acceptable.
A light dusting of powdered sugar is classic, and maple buttercream makes it extra special. The cake is a versatile base, so you can pair it with cream cheese frosting, vanilla buttercream, or a brown-butter buttercream for a different profile.
Key Ingredients & Notes
- All-Purpose Flour (10.5–11% protein): Gives structure without toughness. Too much protein makes a dense cake; too little risks collapse.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Both leaveners are needed to lift this molasses-and-buttermilk batter.
- Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves & Allspice: A classic spice blend—use fresh spices for the best flavor.
- Unsulphured Molasses: Adds color, moisture, and deep gingerbread character. Avoid blackstrap, which can be bitter; treacle or a blend of blackstrap and honey can work if needed.
- Hot Brewed Coffee: The heat helps dissolve molasses and deepens the flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
- Sunflower Oil: Keeps the cake soft and moist for days. You can substitute melted butter, but oil produces a lighter texture.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and amplifies the molasses notes.
- Eggs: Bind the batter and add richness.
- Buttermilk: Adds acidity for leavening and keeps the crumb tender. Use room temperature or slightly warmed buttermilk to avoid a lumpy batter.
- Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste: Rounds and balances the spices.
Step-by-Step
- Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a large bowl; set aside.
- Combine the molasses and hot brewed coffee in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in the oil and brown sugar until combined, then add the vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk, one at a time, mixing until smooth.
- The mixture should be a bubbly, medium-brown liquid after the molasses reacts with the baking soda and buttermilk.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until no streaks of flour remain.
- The batter will be a lighter caramel brown with many small bubbles from the leavening reaction.
- Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 9×13-inch pan and smooth the top.
- Bake on the middle rack at 350°F (180°C) for 28–35 minutes. The center should spring back to a gentle press and a toothpick inserted should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Toppings
- Powdered Sugar: A simple dusting keeps the cake classic and elegant.
- Maple Buttercream or Cream Cheese Frosting: Either brightens the cake; add a touch of lemon zest to cream cheese frosting to lift the spices.
- Gingerbread Cookies: Decorate the frosted cake with iced gingerbread cookies for a festive presentation.
Jenn’s Tips
- Weigh ingredients for accuracy. This batter is liquid-heavy; accurate measurements prevent a dense or gummy cake.
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Eggs and buttermilk at room temperature help the batter emulsify and bake evenly.
- Watch the bake time. The cake can overbake quickly—start checking 5–7 minutes early.
- Cool completely. The flavor deepens and the texture sets as the cake cools; it often tastes even better the next day.
- Use fresh spices. Since spice is the leading flavor, fresh jars give the best intensity.
Leftovers & Storage
- Room temperature: If the cake remains in the pan, cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 4–5 days. Otherwise store slices in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Unfrosted cake can be sliced, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and frozen in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 months.
★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and a review if you make this recipe — thank you!
5 from 3 votes
Classic Moist Gingerbread Cake
By Jenn Davis
Prep: 30
Cook: 30
Total: 1
Yield: 12 servings
A classic moist gingerbread cake that can be topped with maple buttercream and decorated with gingerbread cookies.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Sheet Cake
- 360 grams (3 cups minus 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour, 10.5–11% protein
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 336 grams (1 cup) unsulphured molasses
- 40 grams (1/4 cup) hot brewed coffee
- 170 grams (3/4 cup) sunflower oil
- 220 grams (1 cup) dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 150 grams (3 large) eggs
- 240 grams (1 cup) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Toppings
- Powdered sugar, sifted
- Maple buttercream frosting (optional)
- Maple gingerbread cookies (optional)
Instructions
Gingerbread Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper that overhangs the sides.
- Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- Molasses & coffee: In another large bowl, whisk the hot coffee and molasses until smooth.
- Wet ingredients: Add the oil and brown sugar to the molasses mixture and whisk to combine. Stir in the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth.
- Combine: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just incorporated. The batter should be silky with many small bubbles. Pour into the prepared pan and level the top.
- Bake on the middle rack for 28–35 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the pan on a wire rack until the cake is completely cool before removing and frosting or dusting with powdered sugar.
Assemble
- Make maple buttercream while the cake cools, then frost the cake or dust it with powdered sugar. Decorate with gingerbread cookies if desired.
Notes
Ingredients used:
- Flour: Gold Medal All Purpose Flour (10.5–11% protein) recommended.
- Molasses: Grandma’s Unsulphured Molasses recommended for best flavor.