A wonderfully spiced vegan gingerbread cake with layers of classic buttercream. The cake melts in your mouth and is made with common ingredients.
What to expect from this cake
This vegan gingerbread cake is like a warm hug from your inside out! Each layer is:
- perfectly spiced and moist
- FLUFFY
- has caramel undertones
- uses common pantry ingredients
And for those people with dietary requirements, the cake is also:
- nut-free
- can be made refined sugar free
In saying that, I served this cake to a group of non-vegans and they all devoured it so quickly!
This layered gingerbread cake is the perfect centrepiece for any Christmas table or a great gift to a loved one. If you frost the cake, you can make and keep it for a couple of days in advance, which means there's no rushing on Christmas morning!
How to simplify this cake
If you're intimidated by the process of making a layered cake, you can use the recipe to create a single layer cake! But how do you do this??
- Follow the recipe until you have made a cake batter.
- Pour the cake batter into a sheet pan.
- Bake the cake in the oven until a skewer can be inserted into the middle and it comes out clean.
- When the cake has cooled, frost it as desired.
Alternatively, check out my simple ginger coconut cake recipe!
Looking for other vegan gingerbread recipes?
If you love caramel, check out my gingerbread caramel tart.
Or if you enjoy baking with yeast and eating fluffy baked goods, try my gingerbread cinnamon scrolls.
My gingerbread cookie dough ice cream sandwiches are ideal for those who experience a Summery Christmas.
Vegan Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 3 ⅔ cups (450g) all-purpose plain flour
- 2 cups (380g) dark brown sugar, or coconut sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons ground ginger
- ½ tablespoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of any good-quality salt
Wet ingredients
- 2 cups (500mL) dairy-free milk,
- 1 cup (250mL) light-tasting vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 ½ cups (340g) vegan butter, chilled
- 4 cups (400g) powdered sugar / icing sugar, or to taste (use more for a firmer frosting)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
To decorate (optional)
- gingerbread cookies
- Sugared cherries
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Line 3x20 cm (8 inch) cake pans with with baking paper or brush with oil.
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Mix until there are no lumps. Add all the wet ingredients to the bowl and mix until combined.
- Evenly divide the cake batter into the 3 cake tins. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer can be inserted into each cake and it comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 20 minutes then place them on a wire rack.
To make the frosting:
- Add the vegan butter to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer, add the butter to a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer. Beat on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes until the butter has increased in size and turned pale yellow or white.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the mixer or bowl. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds or until the sugar is fully incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
To assemble:
- Using a serrated knife, slice the domes off the cakes, ensuring each is as flat as possible.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate and generously spread a layer of frosting on the top. Gently place the next cake layer on the frosting making sure it is level. Repeat until all layers of the cake have been used up.
- Spread a thin layer of icing on the sides of the cake and use a cake scraper to level it out. Messily spread the remainder of the frosting on the top of the cake.
- Place gingerbread people and cherries on the cake as desired.
- Serve immediately. If you want to serve the cake later, put the frosted cake in an airtight container in the fridge without the gingerbread people and cherries. Decorate the cake just before serving*. Store the cake in the fridge for up to 5 days or in slices in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
Nutrition
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I made this cake last week for a family gathering. Even my two vegan-skeptic uncles loved it and had seconds. So, thank you for the recipe! Like the other commenters, I was also really happy with how fluffy it turned out. Will be using this recipe as a "base" for other cakes now too
Now that's cool that your vegan-skeptic uncles loved this cake!! Isn't it the best when older relatives realise that vegan food *can* be delicious?! Thanks so so much for your feedback - truly made my day x
If I would like to incorporate some molasses, could I switch half the milk for fancy molasses? Thank you!
Hey! I've tried doing something similar before and it actually works better if you cut the milk by 25% but use 1/2 the quantity of milk as molasses. As you know, molasses is much more thick than milk so a little more milk is needed for the cake batter to be a nice consistency. Alternatively, I have a ginger cake with molasses which can be multiplied into a layer cake: https://www.rainbownourishments.com/ginger-and-coconut-cake/
Cant wait to make this cake!
Can it be made as a bundt cake too?
I hope you enjoy it! And yes, I imagine it would work!
Such a great recipe, I found it really well written and easy to follow and this cake is delicious! I made this for a Christmas lunch complete with the vegan gingerbread men and it was very popular. It has become a new family favourite!
Aw I'm sooo glad to hear! That's the best news :). Thanks soo much Sue-Anne xo
Hi,
Can the vegan butter be fluid (from a bottle) or does it have to be from a block?
Thanks!
Hi! Is that for the frosting? If so, the butter needs to be in the form of a block or tub. Unfortunately liquid butter/oils will not firm up when whipped. Hope that helps!
My daughter made this it was delicious. Thank you for creating such a delicious recipe.
I love it when younger family members make recipes :). Thanks so much for your feedback!
Amazing cake. I made it for christmas and decorated with orange zest, cinnamon and some ikea gingerbread cookies. It looked amazing and tasted really really good.
That's amazing Isla! Orange zest and everything else sounds lovely too!
Made this as a 2 layer cake (used 2/3 of the required quantities and split over 2 tins) and this was absolutely delicious!! Super simple to make too!!! The frosting is so light and not too sweet as some buttercreams are and it perfectly balances the ginger!!
YAY! Glad it worked as a 2 layer cake and you enjoyed everything about it :).
Hello. This looks absolutely delicious. If I were to make it as a tray bake would I need to cut the measurements duwn by half?
Thank you so much! It depends on the size of your tray. For a 20 cm (8 inch) square tray, I'd recommend baking only 3/4 or 2/3 of the recipe (whichever is easiest to measure). I hope that helps!
Great recipe, turned out so well. I've found that a lot of vegan cakes are really thick and heavy, but this one was light and fluffy.
I'd suggest checking this at 30 minutes. My oven might be different, but I left it in for 40 minutes and the tops and bottoms had hardened.
So glad to hear Kaia and especially that you liked the texture of the cake. And good tip about checking the cake at 30 minutes! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
I can not believe how light and fluffy this cake is, it literally melts in your mouth. I was initially nervous when I saw the tablespoon amounts of ginger etc, thinking it might be a little strong but it was ideal. I made this as a birthday celebration cake and had a lot of compliments. Thank you I look forward to trying other receipts.
Aw, I'm so glad to hear Sarah and especially that the ginger wasn't overpowering for you! Thanks so much for leaving your feedback!