This gluten free gingerbread cake is the best, moist and fluffy gluten free cake to enjoy this holiday season! It's baked with warm gingerbread spices and frosted with the best cream cheese maple glaze. The ultimate crowd pleasing dessert!
In the last few years, I've really embraced gluten free baking! From making gluten free donuts, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, pie bars and banana bread, I've really cracked the code on making gluten free baked goods that taste just as good as the wheat based versions. Your guests this holiday season won't be missing the flour one bit!
If you love this gluten free gingerbread cake, you'll love my Gluten Free Spiced Cake with Carrot Cream Cheese Frosting!
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Why You'll Love This Cake
- Impressive and easy. This is the ultimate dream when it comes to entertaining guests, right?! We want to treat them to something special but don't always have time to spend in the kitchen. This gluten free gingerbread cake automatically impresses, yet requires just 30 minutes of hands on prep.
- Perfectly spiced. The combination of molasses and simple spices make the perfect homemade, gingerbread flavor.
- Can be made in advance. Unlike Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts, gingerbread cake can be made up to 3 days in advance. Prep it ahead of your holiday party and spend the actual event relaxing and visiting with loved ones.
Tools You'll Need
- Stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Bundt cake
- Whisk
- Cooling rack
Ingredient Notes
The base of this gluten free gingerbread cake recipe starts by creaming together butter, sugar, and molasses. Molasses is a key ingredient in creating the classic dark brown gingerbread color as well as adding the deep, robust flavor you know and love.
Cassava flour keeps this gluten free cake fluffy and prevents it from having a grittiness that's common in gluten free baked goods. Baking soda and baking powder are used to rise the cake and make it light and a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg make the perfect gingerbread spiced blend.
Whole eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract are the wet ingredients that add moisture, structure, and flavor to this gingerbread cake.
Cream cheese, powdered sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt are the simple ingredients you'll need to make a rich, creamy maple cream cheese glaze.
Substitutions
- Cassava flour substitution - If preferred, substitute your favorite gluten-free flour blend mix. I would not recommend substituting a gluten free flour such as oat flour, almond flour, or coconut flour - these single gluten-free flours would require additional extensive testing and measurement changes.
- Light brown sugar substitution - For a richer, bolder tasting gluten free gingerbread cake, use dark brown sugar.
- Buttermilk substitution - Try one of these 5 buttermilk substitute recommendations.
How to Make Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake
- Cream together the butter and sugar. In the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated cane sugar and molasses, until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Continue beating to incorporate, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cassava flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Stir together buttermilk and vanilla. In a separate glass measuring cup, stir together the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet and dry ingredients in alternation to the batter. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Add ½ of the buttermilk mixture, mixing just until combined. Repeat with another ⅓ of the flour mixture, remaining ½ of the buttermilk mixture, and finally add the remaining flour mixture. Mix until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Fill the bundt pan. Pour the cake batter into the bundt pan and spread evenly.
- Bake. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until it springs back when lightly pressed.
- Cool for 2 hours. Once the gingerbread cake has baked, remove from the oven, and let cool for 1 hour in the pan. Remove from the pan and turn out onto a cooling rack. Let cool for one more hour. While the cake cools, make the Maple Cream Cheese Glaze.
- Make the glaze. Whisk together the cream cheese and maple syrup. Then add the powdered sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and whisk until well combined. Pour the glaze over the gingerbread cake, and serve!
Prep Ahead Options
This gingerbread cake can be prepped up to 3 days in advance. To do so, bake the gingerbread cake as normal and cool completely on a baking rack. Once cool, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and store for up to 3 days. Add the cream cheese frosting right before serving and slicing.
Once frosted, this gingerbread cake will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
Classic gingerbread cookies and desserts are made with all-purpose wheat flour, meaning they are not naturally gluten-free. In order to make your favorite gingerbread recipes gluten-free, you'll need to substitute the flour for a gluten-free flour blend or a flour such as cassava flour.
It can be helpful to allow your gluten free cake batter to rest, but it is not always necessary, especially when baking things like cake for longer times. If you find your gluten-free baked goods tend to be on the dry side, allow the batter to sit for 30 minutes before baking. This will help the batter hydrate and make a moist baked good.
Checking for the doneness of a gluten free cake is the same as a regular flour cake! Insert a toothpick into the center of your cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is ready and should be pulled from the oven to prevent it from drying out. If the batter is sticking to the toothpick, it needs a longer bake.
No! This is one of the best things about baking gluten free goods - there is no gluten in the batter to over-activate with vigorous mixing. If anything, it can be beneficial to take care to really mix the batter well and make sure the gluten free flour absorbs the liquid.
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Watch closely during the bake! It may be necessary to lightly place a piece of foil over the gingerbread cake to prevent over browning. Check your gingerbread cake after about 30 minutes and tent it if it appears to be browning too quickly.
- Allow the gingerbread cake to cool for the full 2 hours. If you add the icing too soon, it is going to melt and run off the gingerbread cake. This is not only messy, but you'll lose most of the icing!
- How to make a smooth cream cheese frosting - Sift the powdered sugar through a fine mesh sieve before mixing it into the cream cheese mixture. This will remove all clumps and make your cream cheese frosting silky smooth.
More Cozy Recipes You'll Enjoy
Gluten Free Gingerbread Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Gluten Free Gingerbread Bundt Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- 3 large eggs
- 3 ½ cups cassava flour or other gluten free all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1⅓ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Maple Cream Cheese Glaze Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup real maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a bundt pan, and dust it with a thick coating of cassava flour, shaking out the excess. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition.
- In a separate bowl stir together the cassava flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In a glass measuring cup, stir together the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
- Alternating between dry ingredients and wet ingredients, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Add ½ of the buttermilk mixture, mixing just until combined. Repeat with another ⅓ of the flour mixture, remaining ½ of the buttermilk mixture, and finally add the remaining flour mixture. Mix until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Pour the cake batter into the bundt pan, and place in the oven. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until it springs back when lightly pressed. NOTE: It may be necessary to lightly place a piece of foil over the cake, as it may begin to brown before the inside is completely baked. This can be done about halfway through baking.
- Once the cake has baked, remove from the oven, and let cool for 1 hour in the pan. Remove from the pan and turn out onto a cooling rack. Let cool for one more hour. While the cake cools, make the Maple Cream Cheese Glaze.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the cream cheese and maple syrup. Add the powdered sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and whisk until well combined. Pour the glaze over the cake, and serve! Cake may be made ahead of time, and wrapped tightly for up to 3 days before glazing. The glazed cake may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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