Vegan Ginger Cake
This vegan ginger cake is wonderfully fluffy, moist and packed with warm spices. The cake comes together in one bowl and is perfect for the holidays and Christmas!
Simple ingredients you’ll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes about the ingredients
Dark molasses (or black treacle in Australia and the UK). I used a little more molasses for flavor and to help bind the ingredients (it acts as a partial egg replacer). Alternatively, you can use golden syrup, maple syrup or any other liquid sweetener (your ginger cake will have a lighter flavor).
Dairy-free milk. I prefer using a high protein milk such as soy milk as it makes the cake more tender. However, any milk will work! This recipe also includes vinegar which interacts with the milk to make vegan buttermilk and makes the cake fluffier.
Lots of spices. I added two whole tablespoons of ground cinnamon and ginger to give the cake lots of gingerbread flavor without being overpowering.
Tips for preparing the vegan ginger cake
This ginger cake is easy to make as you just need to mix the wet ingredients and then the dry ingredients in one bowl! For an easy fluffy cake, here are my recommendations:
- Use slightly warm molasses. Some ginger cake recipes ask for hot water as it helps soften the consistency of the molasses and ‘blooms’ the flavor. However, water is tasteless so we’re warming up the molasses and using dairy-free milk instead.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix the batter so there are no big lumps of dry flour but some small lumps are fine. Overmixing any cake batter will make the cake denser!
The final batter should look runny but feel sticky due to the molasses.
Decorating the cake
Let the vegan ginger cake completely cool before you remove it from the pan. The cake is delicate when it’s warm so it might break if you remove it before cooling.
If you’d like extra neat slices (like pictured), I recommend topping your cake with frosting, cutting it into slices then topping each slice with shredded coconut. When you cut into the cake with the coconut, the coconut can dig into the soft cake and make it a little messier.
Alternatively, you can top your vegan ginger cake with:
- Vegan cream cheese frosting, such as from my sweet potato cake recipe
- Dusting of powdered sugar
- Simple maple icing. Mix 1 cup (100g) of powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup until smooth. Add a dash of milk to make it runnier or add more sugar for a thicker icing.
- Simple vanilla glaze. Mix 1 cup (100g) of powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of dairy-free milk and a dash of vanilla extract.
Customizing the cake
Yes, the cake will bake well in an 8-inch round cake pan but you’ll need to bake the cake for a shorter time. I haven’t tested this recipe in a loaf pan.
If you’d like to make a layer cake, I recommend using my vegan gingerbread cake recipe.
This cake is well-spiced but for an extra ginger kick, add an extra 2 teaspoons of ground ginger or some freshly grated ginger. Or replace some of the non-dairy milk with ginger juice!
This vegan ginger cake is packed with flavor but you can also add/use:
– Pinch of ground cloves
– Orange juice instead of dairy-free milk
– Chopped walnuts and pecans
For a healthier ginger cake, you may use whole wheat or spelt flour instead of all-purpose flour, and coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.
More vegan Christmas desserts
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Vegan Ginger Cake
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- ¼ cup (85g) dark molasses, or dark treacle in the UK/Australia (not blackstrap molasses, note 1)
- ¾ cup (190g) dairy-free milk
- ¾ cup (145g) packed brown sugar, granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- ½ cup (125g) neutral flavored oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose plain flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt, optional
To decorate (optional)
- ½ cup (115g) vegan butter, room temperature (note 2)
- 2 ¼ cups (225g) powdered sugar / icing sugar, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded coconut, toasted if desired
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (340°F). Line or grease an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper. (see note 3 for a 9-inch or 23 cm square pan)
Make the vegan ginger cake:
- Warm up the molasses on the stovetop over low heat for a few minutes or in the microwave for 30 seconds or until it's very runny.
- Add the molasses and the rest of the wet ingredients to a large bowl and whisk until combined. Add all the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined (a few small lumps are fine, as long as they aren't lumps of dry flour).
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake tin and bake for 32-38 minutes. The cake is ready when you insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean or when the center of the cake feels firm to the touch. Let the cake cool in the tin for 20 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
Make the frosting, decorate and serve:
- Add the butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat the butter with a hand mixer until it's light and fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat the mixture on low speed for a minute until it's combined. Increase the mixer to high speed and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add more sugar for a firmer icing or a dash of milk for a softer icing.
- When the cake has completely cooled, spread the frosting on the cake and slice it into squares. If desired, generously sprinkle coconut on the frosting and press down the coconut so it sticks. Serve and enjoy!
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days (unless you live in a warm climate), in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Alternatively, you can use maple syrup or golden syrup. Your cake batter might be runnier and lighter in color, and your cake will have a different flavor profile but will still be delicious!
- You can also use a vegan spreadable butter but use it chilled rather than at room temperature.
- If you have a 9-inch (23 cm) square pan, scale up the recipe to 21 serves. Tap on the number next to ‘Yield’ at the top of the recipe card to scale up the quantities of ingrediens. The cake will take 25 to 30 minutes to bake.
This recipe was originally published in 2016 and updated a few times with an improved recipe.
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This is a great recipe! I Printed it and added it to my collection of “Recipes that I love to make.”
Hi Clara, I’m thrilled you loved this cake and that it’s a keeper for you!! Thanks so much 🥰
Hi Anthea
I was hoping that being an Aussie recipe that the measurements by cup would be correct. It seems that my 2 cups of flour was a lot bigger! I will weigh next time. The notes section state 2 tablespoons of spice but the recipe states teaspoons. It still tasted nice, just a bit firmer, nearly like a cookie! I’m eager to try more egg free recipes.
Hi Erica, I’m sorry that the measurements were confusing for you. I test all my recipes using grams and so do many bakers so I recommend using these in the future. This doesn’t only help with international conversions, but people can pack too much flour into their cups which will throw off a recipe. This recipe will actually still work if you use bigger cups for both wet and dry ingredients (such as AUS cup measurements), so you may have accidentally packed too much flour into your cups.
With the tablespoons, the post says 2 whole tablespoons of spices which refers to the total amount. When you add up all the amounts of the spices, it comes to over 2 US tablespoons. Hope that helps.
How can I replace maple instead of powdered sugar 🤔
If you’re referring to the frosting, it won’t work with maple syrup. If you want a refined sugar free topping, try whipped cream or yogurt.
What size pan did you use?
I used an 8-inch (20cm) pan. You can find all the information in the gray recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Is there any reason why I can’t use blackstrap molasses? I never realised there was a difference? Would it be terrible if I used it? That’s what I have in cupboard. Or could I use half amount and half golden syrup?
Hi Brooke, blackstrap molasses has a really strong and bitter taste so will overpower everything else. However, you could definitely try half blackstrap and half golden syrup. Let me know how you go!
Looks really yummy!
Can be made gluten-free?
Hi Marta, so sorry for the late reply! I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour. However, normally a 1:1 combination of almond flour and gluten-free all-purpose flour works for me. Hope that helps!
Would this work with oat flour or any whole grain flour?
Hi Mary, whole wheat flour and spelt flour will work, but I recommend adding an extra dash of milk as those flours are more absorbent. Oat flour needs to be combined with another flour/starch for the best consistency so I wouldn’t recommend it.
Yum!
I love ginger and this was just perfect. I did frost it, but it would be just as good without. Thank you for another delicious recipe!
Aw that’s so nice to hear Miriam! Glad that you enjoyed this cake as a ginger-lover! Thank you so much for your lovely comment xx
Love this cake! I’ve made it twice now, and not even during Christmas time. When I’ve made it, I like to toast the coconut for the topping for a warm and toasty coconut flavor. I also chop up some candied ginger to sprinkle on top with the coconut for another sweet ginger punch. Thanks for the recipe!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe Laura! Ooh I love the sound of toasted coconut and candied ginger. Thanks so much for your feedback!
so moist and fluffy! my kitchen smells like Christmas! i love it so much
So glad you enjoyed this Rachel!