Vegan Gingerbread Bundt Cake (2024)

This Vegan Gingerbread Cake is the perfect dessert for your holiday. It's a sweet and spicy cake filled with festive flavor and dusted with powdered sugar. Serve it at your next holiday party for a treat everyone can enjoy!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

This post was originally published on November 27, 2017.

Have you made your batches of Crinkle Cookies and Homemade Eggnog yet? Have you picked out all the presents for your loved ones? (If not, make sure to check out my vegan gift guide!). And, most importantly, have you watched all the Christmas movies yet?

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE Christmas. I love everything about it. The parties, the decorations, the food, the music, and, of course, the baking. I’ve been baking up a storm and my freezer is getting so full I can barely close it anymore. But it’s worth it and if you give this gingerbread bundt cake a try, you’ll see what I’m talking about.

This vegan bundt cake is a Christmas lover’s dream! It is sweet, spicy, ultra-moist, and the perfect cake for all your holiday festivities. Baking it in a Bundt cake makes this dessert look beautifully festive. It’s sure to impress any guests and cap off your celebration perfectly!

Table of Contents show

Recommended Ingredients & Equipment

A bundt cake is a cake that is baked in a bundt pan. Bundt pans come in a variety but they are all ring-shaped, inspired by a classic European cake. If you don't have a bundt pan, you can also make this cake into a sheet cake or gingerbread loaf.

Here is everything you need.

Ingredient Notes

All-Purpose Flour - For gluten-free options, you can use a 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend (<<affiliate link). You could also use up to 50% whole wheat flour without negatively affecting the taste and texture.
Spices - You will need a combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
Vegan Butter - Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend Miyoko’s. If you can’t find Miyoko’s butter at your local grocery stores, I would suggest Earth Balance Buttery Sticks as the next best alternative.
Brown & Powdered Sugar - Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements.
Applesauce - This is the binder of the recipe. Applesauce works the best but if you don’t have access to it, check out my guide on replacing eggs.
Non-Dairy Milk - I recommend a thick, neutral flavored milk such as soy, cashew, or macadamia nut.

Recommended Equipment

For this recipe, you’ll need basic kitchen equipment such as measuring cups, utensils, a wire cooling rack, and a 10″ bundt cake pan.

It is also helpful to have a stand-up mixer. I have had mine for 15 years. I use in nearly weekly and it’s never once given me a problem. It makes baking SO much easier and it comes with so many attachments, I can make meringues, bread, and cakes by flipping a switch. (<<affiliate links)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step One - Make the Batter

To begin, mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. That's the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Next, using a stand-up mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and airy. Add the molasses and applesauce and combine.

Pro Tip: The cake batter may look a little curdled at this point. That's okay! It will sort itself out once the rest of the ingredients are added.

Finish the batter by alternating the dry and wet ingredients into the batter in three batches, starting with the flour mixture. Mix it until your batter comes together and is evenly hydrated. Be careful not to overmix your batter or your cake will be dense and gummy!

Step Two - Bake the Cake

Prepare the bundt cake pan by generously spraying the pan. This is essential for the cake to come out cleanly. Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Pro Tip: Baking time will depend on the size of your bundt pan. Large bundt pans will create a thinner cake and, therefore, need to bake for less time.

Serving and Storing

Serving - Let the cake cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar. Otherwise, the powdered sugar will melt into the cake. Serve with homemade eggnog, Christmas cookies, or homemade hot chocolate.

Storing- Tightly wrap the leftover cake and store it at room temperature. You can also freeze this cake for up to 2 months. Let it thaw 2-3 hours at room temperature before serving.

Tips and Tricks

The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
Don't overmix your batter. By alternating the dries and wets into the batter, we are ensuring the batter does not get over-mixed and gummy.
Generously spray your bundt pan. You do not want any of this delicious cake sticking to its edges.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the cake starts to get dark around the edges, you can cover it with tin foil to bake the last 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be made in advance?

Yes! This vegan bundt cake makes the perfect holiday gifts and can be made in advance. To do this, bake according to the instructions. Once the cake is cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. These cakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to gift or serve, let thaw at room temperature for 3-4 hours.

Why alternate wet and dry ingredients?

By alternating we are making sure the batter stays as tender as possible. By adding all the liquid ingredients first, the butter would start to separate from everything. Yet, adding all the dry ingredients first would cause the batter to get thick and require over-mixing in order for it so even out. And, as we know, over-mixing results in a gummy glutenous texture.

Do I need to use a Bundt cake pan?

No! If you don't have a bundt cake pan, you can bake this into two 9x5 (or similarly sized) loaf pans or make a sheet cake by filling a baking sheet ¾ of the way full. Sheet cakes should cook in 20-25 minutes.

Can this recipe be gluten-free?

Yes. I have had a lot of luck with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. That is the only gluten-free flour I’ve tried for this cake but I’m sure other 1:1 ratio flours would work as well.

More Vegan Cake Recipes

Classic Lemon Pound Cake
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Orange Cranberry Pound Cake
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Make sure to check out all my vegan cake recipes for more inspiration.

Vegan Gingerbread Cake

This Vegan Gingerbread Cake is the perfect dessert for your holiday. A sweet and spicy cake filled with flavor and dusted with powdered sugar.

4.87 from 29 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 people

Calories: 373kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 teaspoon ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ cup vegan butter
1 ½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup molasses
½ cup apple sauce
1 cup soy milk, or non-dairy milk of choice
powdered sugar, for dusting

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10” bundt panand set aside.
In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
Using a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream together brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add molasses and beat until combined, again scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.Add applesauce and beat again until well combined. The cake batter may look a little curdled at this point. That's okay! It will sort itself out once the rest of the ingredients are added.
Alternating between wet and dry, add the soy milk and flour mixture in three batches. Scrape down the sides in between. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle, comes out clean. Let cake cool about 15 minutes then flip out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

Serving and Storing - Let the cake cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar. Otherwise, the powdered sugar will melt into the cake. Serve with homemade eggnog, Christmas cookies, or homemade hot chocolate. Tightly wrap the leftover cake and store it at room temperature. You can also freeze this cake for up to 2 months. Take it out the day before to let it thaw.

Recipe Tips

Don't overmix your batter. By alternating the dries and wets into the batter, we are ensuring the batter does not get over-mixed and gummy.
Generously spray your bundt pan. You do not want any of this delicious cake sticking to its edges.
If the cake starts to get dark around the edges, you can cover it with tin foil to bake the last 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be made in advance? Yes! This vegan bundt cake makes the perfect holiday gifts and can be made in advance. To do this, bake according to the instructions. Once the cake is cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. These cakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to gift or serve, let thaw at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
Can this cake be baked in normal cake pans? Yes! If you don't have a bundt cake pan, you can bake this into two 9x5 (or similarly sized) loaf pans or make a sheet cake by filling a baking sheet ¾ of the way full. Sheet cakes should cook in 20-25 minutes.
Can this recipe be gluten-free? Yes. I have had a lot of luck with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. That is the only gluten-free flour I’ve tried for this cake but I’m sure other 1:1 ratio flours would work as well.

Nutrition

@mydarlingvegan on Instagram

If you give this recipe recipe a try, snap a photo and share it on Instagram. Make sure to tag @mydarlingvegan so I can see your creations!