This vegan ginger cake recipe is moist, not too sweet, and bursting with warm spices! With fresh ginger and cinnamon, it is the perfect holiday cake or anytime snack.
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While this cake is healthier than others, that’s not what makes it spectacular! What really sets this cake above the rest is the pronounced ginger flavor! The moment you take a bite, your taste buds will explode! This cake is not for the faint of heart! It packs a gingery punch!
I have enjoyed sharing some of my ginger-inspired recipes with you, including my vegan gingerbread loaf and gingerbread oat milk latte!
This cake might be my favorite of all of them! It’s on the healthier side, as it’s a plant-based dessert without added oils or vegan butter. It’s made with whole wheat and quinoa flour, increasing the fiber and adding a bit of protein.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Ginger Cake
Simple Ingredients: Most of the ingredients in this cake can be found at your local grocery store. Quinoa flour can even be easily found on sites like Amazon for quick delivery.
Easy: This ginger cake recipe is essentially simple: You just need to mix and bake.
Healthy: This cake uses whole-food, plant-based ingredients and muscovado sugar, a minimally processed sugar option.
A Cake for Everyone: This cake is free of oil, dairy, eggs, and nuts, and it can easily be made gluten-free so that everyone can enjoy it.
Versatile: It’s a great dessert, snack, or healthy, sweet breakfast.
Classic Holiday Flavor: The ginger, spices, and molasses create a moist, tender cake full of classic holiday flavor.
Ingredients and Notes
Muscovado sugar is less refined than traditional brown sugar but works the same way for baking.
Unsweetened Applesauce: This is used in place of butter or oil in the recipe and adds moisture to the baking.
Maple Syrup: Adds natural sweetness and needs moisture.
Molasses: Adds sweetness and that dark gingerbread color we’re familiar with in cookies and other bakes.
Unsweetened Almond Milk: Provides needed moisture.
Banana: This adds a natural sweetness and helps create a moist bake.
White Whole Wheat Flour: Adds fiber and increases its nutritional value.
Quinoa Flour: Made from ground quinoa seeds, this adds light to the cake and extra nutritional value in protein, fiber, and nutrients.
Ground Ginger: Depending on your flavor preference, you can add more or less.
Fresh Ginger: This is an essential added ingredient for fresh gingery flavor.
Cinnamon: A classic holiday spice that adds warm undertones.
Baking Powder and Salt: Needed to leaven the cake and help to balance the flavors.
Powdered Sugar: To dust on top!
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Substitutions and Variations
Sugar: If you can’t find muscovado sugar, brown sugar will work.
Gluten-Free: Make this recipe gluten-free. Substitute the whole wheat flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
More Ginger Flavor: Add two teaspoons of ground ginger to your dry ingredients.
Nutmeg or Cloves: Try adding ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg or cloves for even more flavor.
Icing or Frosting Option: I suggest combining 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of water or dairy-free milk and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract to top this cake with icing. Whisk the ingredients together and drizzle over the top of the cake. You can also whip up some easy vegan buttercream frosting.
Different Flours: If you don’t have white whole wheat flour, you can use all-purpose flour for this vegan gingerbread cake.
How to Make Vegan Ginger Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325° F. Cut out a circle of parchment paper and place it on the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan. Lightly grease the sides of the cake pan with coconut oil.
- Whisk the wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Then, add the mashed banana and whisk again.
- Sift the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Make a well in the center of the flour, then add the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the fresh minced ginger.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until the cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, turn it out onto a plate and remove the parchment paper. Turn it back over and cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
FAQ
Contrary to many people, gingerbread is a flavor profile rather than a specific bread recipe. Gingerbread recipes are made with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and molasses. This combination can be found in quick bread, cookies, cupcakes, and cakes.
Gingerbread tends to be flavored with molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Ginger cake has a more pronounced ginger flavor, often using fresh ginger to bring out the distinct flavor. Gingerbread is often baked in a loaf pan, while the ginger cake is baked in a round cake pan, sometimes in double layers and frosted.
Mcvities Jamaican ginger cake is vegetarian but not vegan. It contains eggs and milk.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip sifting the dry ingredients. This helps to evenly distribute the flour, spices, and baking powder, resulting in a more even bake and flavor distribution.
- Once you add the batter to your cake pan, lift it and drop it a few times on your countertop. This will help evenly distribute the batter so that the cake rises to the same height.
- Make sure the oven is preheated before you add your cake.
- Check the cake at the 25-30 minute mark. You don’t want to overbake your cake. It should be golden brown on the top (which is a bit tricky to see since the cake is already brown), and a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean.
- To quickly turn out the cake, run a knife along the sides of the pan first. This loosens the cake. If it doesn’t readily release after that, give the bottom a few good thumps with your hand.
Serving Suggestions
I enjoy serving this cake with a simple dusting of powdered sugar! I love how it looks like snow across the top, which puts me in the holiday spirit!
I love to serve this cake alongside other holiday treats like silken tofu pumpkin pie, or vegan Christmas cookies. You can also make it part of a more extensive, festive holiday brunch by pairing it with savory options like any of these Just egg recipes or this silken tofu breakfast scramble.
Storage
Room Temperature: Wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store for up to five days.
Freeze: Wrap the cake in a double layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. Then, freeze it for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container.
Defrost: Remove the cake from the freezer and transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw for at least 8 hours. Do not remove the cake from the wrapping. Allow it to thaw while still in its wrap. After 8 hours, it will be ready to dust with powdered sugar or icing and serve!
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Recipe
Vegan Ginger Cake
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Ingredients
- ½ cup muscavado sugar or brown sugar
- 6 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup dark molasses
- 7 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
- 1 banana mashed
- 1 ½ cups wholewheat flour
- ½ cup quinoa flour
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Cut out a round circle of parchment paper and place on the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan. Optional: Lightly grease the sides of the cake pan with coconut oil. In a medium mixing bowl combine muscavado sugar, applesauce, maple syrup, molasses, and almond milk. Whisk together to combine. Add mashed banana and whisk again.
- Sift together whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
- Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour in wet ingredients. With a hand mixer, beat until well combined. Fold in the fresh minced ginger.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 minutes at 325 F or until firm to the touch, and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over, remove parchment paper from the bottom, and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. When ready to serve dust with powdered sugar. Cut into slices and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Don’t skip sifting the dry ingredients. This helps to evenly distribute the flours, spices, and baking powder and results in a more even bake, and flavor distribution.
- Once you add the batter to your cake pan, lift it and drop it a few times on your countertop. This will help evenly distribute the batter so that it bakes up at the same height.
- Make sure the oven is preheated before you add your cake.
- Check the cake at the 25-30 minute mark. You don’t want to overbake your cake. It should be golden brown on the top (which is a bit tricky to see since the cake is already brown), and a toothpick when inserted comes out clean.
- Wrap in saran wrap and aluminum foil, and keep at room temperature. The cake will be good for 3-5 days.
rachel moore
I would like to try this recipe. What can I substitute for Quinoa flour, I dont have?
Alison Corey
Hi Rachel! You could use lentil flour, or if you don’t have that, it’s perfectly fine to just use an additional 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour.
Nathan
My roommates are all vegan so I’ve been in the market for some good vegan recipes as the holidays approach. Can’t wait to try out this cake!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
Gingerbread is one of my favorites around the holidays. This vegan version sounds delicious and looks really delicious!
Emily Liao
Wow, this vegan ginger cake was so delicious! Loved how soft and fluffy it was.
Emmeline
Oh I’m also totally addicted to ginger-anything this time of year (ehm, currently sipping my ginger tea…) so I will definitely be trying this cake out!
Cindy
This was so delicious. I made it today! It was approved by my entire family! I am adding it to the dessert rotation! YUMMMM