Easy Spiced Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This easy spiced vegan gingerbread cake is a total must-make for your holiday season baking list! Totally packed full of gingerbread flavor with extra ginger and cinnamon and totally easy to mix up in one bowl. It’s such a quick and easy holiday dessert that you and your guests will love it.

A vegan gingerbread loaf cake on a black serving tray surrounded by holiday themed items and fresh spices like star anise and cinnamon sticks. — A vegan gingerbread loaf cake ready to slice and serve.

This vegan gingerbread cake recipe is kinda like breakfast, snacks, and dessert all in one! Serve it anytime with hot chocolate, a mug of tea, or a cup of coffee. The warm spices in this moist cake keep it from being too sweet. That means cake all the time if you ask me!

For more gingerbread recipes, make sure you check out my vegan gingerbread men cookies and chewy vegan ginger molasses cookies.

Why You’ll Love this Vegan Gingerbread Cake

Super delicious and spicy cake!
Soft, fluffy, and moist
Easy to make without any special equipment
Dairy free, egg free, nut free recipe

Ingredients

Molasses: After testing several brands, I have found that Grandma’s molasses gives the best flavor and texture. Wholesome molasses can be dark and some family members thought it was bitter. No matter what, don’t use blackstrap molasses. That will always make a bitter cake.
Ginger + Cinnamon: The keys to a good gingerbread! I love spicy gingerbread so I add an extra teaspoon of ground ginger to this recipe. If you love it extra spicy, you should do the same. Otherwise, the recipe gives a nice flavor.
Flax seeds + Cornstarch: These act at the eggs in this recipe, helping to provide moisture, keep the texture soft, and hold it all together. Mix the flaxseed with hot water to make a flax egg.
Melted vegan butter: By melting the butter ahead of time, it more evenly coats the dry ingredients, making for a more tender crumb after baking.
You’ll also need: all purpose flour, baking powder, dairy free milk, white sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
For the icing, you’ll need powdered sugar, vanilla, and a bit of water. It’s super simple and sweet!

Instructions

Make sure to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe and ingredient list.

This loaf cake is so easy to mix up you only need one bowl and no special equipment.

First, line your loaf pan with parchment paper and spray it with some neutral oil. Set this aside while you make the cake.

Now make your flax egg. In your mixing bowl, add the ground flaxseed and mix with 3 tablespoons of boiling water. Give this a stir and let it rest for 5 minutes. This turns it gooey and perfect for putting in cakes.

Sifted dry ingredients for the cake in a glass bowl on a wood table. — Sifting the dry ingredients together.

Mixed wet ingredients for the cake batter in a glass bowl on a wood table. — Mixing the wet ingredients together.

Next, sift together all the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, and all the spices and salt. I like to sift mine onto a piece of parchment paper.

Now, combine all the wet ingredients into the same large bowl with the flax egg. Mix the melted vegan butter with vegan milk, molasses, sugar, and vanilla.

Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. You can still use a whisk or switch to a spatula to make srue you scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix until everything is combined.

Finished gingerbread cake batter in a glass bowl with a green spatula mixing the batter. — The finished batter is pretty thick.

Cake batter in a glass and parchment lined pan. — Lining the pan helps to remove the cake after baking.

Pour the gingerbread cake batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center pulls out clean.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the hot pan before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Make the Icing

Making the icing for this cake couldn’t be any easier!

In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar with vanilla and 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Mix until you get a thickness you like. Sometimes you may need more or less sugar, depending on the weather.

Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and let it rest for about an hour to set.

Tip! Pop the cake in the fridge after icing to help the icing set. This will make your slices more clean.

Slices of vegan gingerbread loaf cake on a black serving tray with ornaments and cinnamon sticks surrounding it. — Chilling the cake helps not only have the icing stick better but also makes slicing and serving easier.

Tips + Tricks

Try to bake this in a glass pan if possible. While you can use a metal loaf pan, I’ve found that glass bakes more evenly. The metal pans tend to burn the edges of my loaf cakes when baking.
Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes in the loaf pan before removing it to a wire rack to finish cooling. This prevents the cake from getting gummy.
Make sure the cake is totally cool before icing or you could end up with a huge icing mess! I also like to pop mine in the fridge for an hour to help the icing set before slicing.
Fold ½ a cup of raisins, golden raisins, or walnuts into the batter before baking for a festive twist!

FAQs

Can I make this in other cake pans?

Yes!
Cupcakes: Pour the prepared batter into cupcake pans that have been lined. Bake for 23-25 minutes.
Mini Loaf Pans: Sizes vary so depending on size, anywhere from 22 to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on these.
Sheet Cake: You can make this in a 8×10 pan. Bake for about 30 minutes before checking.

Help! My cake is sinking in the middle!

Okay, don’t worry. There are a few things you can do to prevent a cake from sinking in the middle.
First, check to make sure that your oven is performing at the temperature you set it to. I always do a check twice a year with an oven thermometer to make sure my oven is heating to the right temperature.
Next, make sure that your baking powder is fresh. If it has been open for longer than 6 months, it may have expired. Expired baking powder can’t make cakes rise.
Finally, don’t open the oven for any reason for the first 30 minutes after you’ve put the cake in the oven! This is so important. The baking powder reacts to the heat of the oven and gives lift to the cake. If you open it too soon, it can drop the temperature by up to 150F! Don’t open the oven until you are ready to test the cake for doneness.

How to Store

Countertop: You can store this cake on the countertop in an airtight container for 2 days. Because there is no milk in the icing it is okay to eat at room temperature.

Fridge: You can also store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Freezer: Store the fully baked and cooled cake either in a a whole loaf, or, slice it into serving slices, and place sheets of parchment paper in between each slice before storing in a freezer safe container. It can be frozen for up to 2 months. Allow the cake to thaw in the fridge overnight or on the countertop for a few hours before serving.

More Holiday Recipes

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

If you try these out, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. And if you want more delicious, vegan friendly recipes you can subscribe to the newsletter. Did you make these? Please tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest! I love to see your creations!