Gingerbread cake is the pure, unfussy classic — dark, moist, and spiced with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and a whisper of cacao. Blackstrap molasses gives it deep colour and bittersweet character while coconut milk keeps the crumb tender. Nine squares of cake that only improves overnight.
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 blackstrap molasses
¾ cup palm sugar
8 tablespoons (120 ml) coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk, room temperature
Preparation
1.В В Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F (165°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 (1 to 3 minutes). Beat in the egg until combined (about 30 seconds). Add the coconut milk and continue beating for about 30 seconds. Lastly, beat in the flour mixture until the batter is smooth and thick (1 to 3 minutes).
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
- Beat the molasses, palm sugar, and melted coconut oil together first until smooth. A well-combined base is what keeps the spices evenly distributed through the cake.
- A teaspoon of cacao powder sounds odd in gingerbread and is a baker's secret — it deepens the molasses without adding chocolate flavour.
- Bake at 325°F rather than a hotter oven. The lower heat gives gingerbread its signature moist, dense crumb instead of a domed, dry one.
- Cool completely in the pan before cutting — one to two hours. Gingerbread is fragile while warm and slices beautifully once set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this into a layer cake?
Yes — divide between two pans and check at 25 minutes. Coconut cream frosting or a lemon glaze makes an excellent filling.
How do I store gingerbread cake?
Airtight at room temperature for three days or refrigerated for a week. It's genuinely more flavourful on day two.
Can I use light molasses?
Yes, though the cake will be milder and lighter in colour. Blackstrap is what gives that deep, almost bittersweet gingerbread character.
What goes well with it?
Whipped coconut cream, a dusting of palm sugar, or a simple lemon glaze. The citrus against the dark spice is a classic pairing.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F.
- 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 (1 to 3 minutes).
- Beat in the egg until combined (about 30 seconds).
- Add the coconut milk and continue beating for about 30 seconds. Lastly, beat in the flour mixture until the batter is smooth and thick (1 to 3 minutes). 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.
