Gingerbread Cake Recipe - Tastes Better From Scratch (original) (raw)

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This easy Gingerbread Cake recipe is topped with homemade vanilla cream sauce, bananas, and whipped cream. It could be my favorite holiday cake ever!

Do you love gingerbread? Try our Gingerbread Waffles, Ginger Molasses Cookies, Build a Gingerbread House, or make Gingerbread Cookies!

A piece of moist Gingerbread Cake, topped with whipped cream, bananas, and a homemade vanilla cream sauce.

Why I love this cake:

Light – The texture of this easy gingerbread cake is perfectly light, fluffy, and moist. Plus, your house will smell of freshly baked gingerbread.
The Toppings – You must add a drizzle of the vanilla cream sauce, with sliced bananas and whipped cream, to get the full experience!
Family Favorite – My mom shared this recipe with me from one of her best friends (thanks Kristen!) and its been a highlight of our season ever since.

How to make Gingerbread Cake:

Mix Wet Ingredients: Cream the sugar and butter until smooth. Add the eggs and molasses then mix well.

Two images showing eggs and molasses poured on top of creamed butter and sugar, and then after it's all mixed together.

Stir Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients then slowly pour in the hot water and stir until smooth.

Two images showing dry ingredients being added to an easy Gingerbread Cake recipe, and after the batter is finished.

Bake: Pour batter into a 9”x 13” pan. Bake gingerbread cake for 20-35 minutes.

A homemade Gingerbread Cake in a 9x13 dish, freshly baked.

Serve: This classic gingerbread cake recipe is delicious by itself (and totally acceptable to eat it as a stand-alone), but I just can't resist the combination of fresh bananas, whipped cream, and the most amazing warm vanilla cream sauce drizzled on top. It's outstanding!

A piece of the best Gingerbread Cake, topped with whipped cream and bananas, and a spoon drizzling homemade vanilla cream sauce on top.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: The vanilla cream sauce can be made a few days in advance, stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Rewarm before serving.

To Store: The ginger cake recipe keeps well at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for about a week.

To Freeze: Wrap the gingerbread cake in plastic wrap then aluminum foil, and place in a freezer safe bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight at room temperature before serving. If you'd like it warm, heat it in the microwave for a few seconds.

More Christmas Treats:

Gingerbread Cake:

▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
▢ 1/2 cup butter
▢ 1 large egg, , beaten
▢ 1 cup unsulphered molasses
▢ 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ 1 teaspoon ground ginger
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 cup very hot water
▢ bananas, for topping
▢ fresh whipped cream, , for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13” pan with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter until smooth and light.
Add the egg and molasses then mix well. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir to combine. Slowly pour in the hot water and stir until smooth (batter will be thin).
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Serve warm, topped with fresh sliced bananas, whipped cream, and vanilla cream sauce.

For the Vanilla Cream Sauce:

Add sugar, butter and cream to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter has melted.
Bring mixture to a boil then boil, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving over cake.

Make Ahead Instructions: The homemade vanilla cream sauce recipe can be made a few days in advance. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Storage Instructions: The gingerbread cake keeps well at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for about a week.

Freezing Instructions: Wrap the cake in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and place in a freezer safe bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight at room temperature before serving. If you'd like it warm, heat it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Recipe given to me by a friend, as an adapted Lion House Recipe

Calories: 444kcal, Carbohydrates: 67g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 386mg, Potassium: 480mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 47g, Vitamin A: 568IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 93mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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*I originally shared this recipe November 2015. Updated December 2018 and December 2023.

Published December 18, 2023

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.