Gingerbread cake with dried fruit is a dark, spicy traybake studded with raisins, prunes, or cranberries that plump into jammy pockets. Blackstrap molasses and a full measure of ginger, cloves, and allspice make it taste like the holidays in cake form. Nine squares that keep getting better over the following days.
SERVES 9
Ingredients
1¾ cups almond flour
2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground ginger
1 teaspoon (5 ml) cacao powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup raisins, chopped prunes, or dried cranberries, unsweetened and additive free
¾ cup blackstrap molasses
¾ cup palm sugar
8 tablespoons (120 ml) coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 large egg, room temperature
¾ coconut milk, room temperature
Preparation
1.В В Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an eight-inch square baking pan with a foil sling. Make a foil sling for an eight-inch square baking pan by folding two long sheets of aluminum foil so each is eight inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease the foil with coconut oil.
2.В В Whisk the flour, ginger, cacao powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
3.В В In a large bowl, beat the molasses, palm sugar, and melted coconut oil together with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat in the egg until combined (about 30 seconds). Beat in the coconut milk until combined (about 30 seconds). Beat in the flour mixture until the batter is smooth and thick (1 to 3 minutes). Fold in the dried fruit (raisins, chopped prunes, or dried cranberries).
4.В В Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (35 to 40 minutes), rotating the pan halfway through baking.
5.В В Let the cake cool completely in the pan (one to two hours). If desired, remove the cake from the pan using the foil before serving.
Pro Tips
- Choose one dried fruit and stick to it — raisins, chopped prunes, or cranberries each give the cake a different personality, and mixing all three muddies the spice.
- Beat the batter the full one to three minutes until smooth and thick. Gingerbread batter needs that work to hold the dried fruit in suspension.
- Cool completely in the pan — one to two hours. Warm gingerbread is fragile and crumbles instead of cutting into clean squares.
- A teaspoon of cacao powder is subtle but essential; it deepens the molasses flavour without making the cake taste of chocolate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which dried fruit works best?
Chopped prunes make the cake fudgiest, raisins the sweetest, and unsweetened cranberries the tartest. All three are good — pick by mood.
Can I make this into cupcakes?
Yes — bake at 350°F for about 18 to 22 minutes. Fill the cups two-thirds full and let them cool before removing from the tin.
How do I store gingerbread cake?
Airtight at room temperature for three days, or refrigerated for a week. The molasses keeps it moist and the spices bloom as it sits.
Can I frost it?
A lemon glaze or coconut cream frosting suits it beautifully — the citrus cuts the dark sweetness of the molasses and dried fruit.
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