A gluten free + vegan twist on this classic cake! This Chocolate Gingerbread Cake is spicy, warming, and a perfect dessert for the Holidays.
The holidays are a really busy time of year for me, as I think they are for everyone. I don’t necessarily have time to make a whole cake from scratch each time. Or maybe you’re just starting out on your baking journey and don’t feel confident to make a gluten free and vegan cake from scratch.
So when I needed to bake a cake, I wanted to make it seasonal, and I wanted to make it easy as pie… err, cake.
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To solve both these issues, I created a deliciously spiced chocolate gingerbread cake that uses a cake mix and jazzes it up for the season! Enter Kate’s Simple and Sweet Chocolate Cake Mix.
This chocolate gingerbread cake is gluten free, vegan, and free from the top 14 allergens, making it a favorite for everyone to enjoy!
No matter if you have food allergies yourself, or are baking for someone who does, I love baking with Kate’s mixes due to their high quality ingredients. The entire line is non-GMO, free from artificial flavors and dyes, and made on dedicated allergy free manufacturing lines. And when you bake with them, you use simple pantry staples; no crazy ingredients required!
This cake uses a chocolate cake mix as a base and adds a few extra things. Don’t worry, all of them are pantry staples as well! To top it all off, I used the Vanilla Frosting Mix to make a decadent cream cheese frosting.
How to Make a Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
Start by grabbing a measuring cup and combine the milk of your choice and the apple cider vinegar. Give it a mix and set it aside for 5 minutes. This makes a vegan buttermilk to help the cake rise.
In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or a stand mixer, combine the milk mixture with the oil and molasses. Give this a good mix. To make it extra cozy and give it the spicy ginger kick, add ground ginger and cinnamon. The amounts I share are for a more mild cake, but if you like extra spice don’t be afraid to double this!
Now add the cake mix and give everything a good stir, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so everything is fully incorporated.
To make this a snacking cake, pour batter into a greased 8x8 or 9x9 cake pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
To make this a layered cake, pour batter into two 6-inch greased and parchment lined cake pans. Bake at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans before frosting.
Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting, or any chocolate or vanilla frosting!
More Holiday Desserts You Might Enjoy
Peppermint Brownies (gluten free, vegan, top 14 free)
Hot Chocolate Cupcakes (gluten free, vegan, nut free)
Sugar Cookies (gluten free + nut free)
Did you make this recipe?
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box Kate's Safe and Sweet Chocolate Cake Mix
- 4 tablespoon neutral oil (ex, Canola)
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 cup milk of your choice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare an 8x8 or 9x9 glass or dark cake pan by by lightly greasing and lining with parchment paper. Set aside. Alternatively, this can also make two 6-inch cake rounds. Prepare by lightly greasing and lining with parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the milk of your choice with apple cider vinegar. Give it a mix and let rest for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or a stand mixer, combine milk mixture, oil, molasses, and spices. Mix well until fully incorporated. Add the cake mix and whisk until no lumps remain. Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl to get all the flour incorporated!
- Pour batter into prepared pans. For an 8x8 or 9x9 pan bake for 30-35 minutes. For the 6-inch rounds bake for 35-40 minutes. You will know the cake is done when no jiggle remains and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting. Enjoy!
Notes
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This post is sponsored by Kate’s Safe and Sweet. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for continuing to support brands that make Living Beyond Allergies possible!
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