This simple vegan gingerbread loaf cake is soft and fluffy with warm spices and a creamy dairy free frosting. It’s the perfect winter treat for the holiday season.
If you're looking for the ultimate festive dessert, this vegan gingerbread cake is for you! It's so easy to make with molasses, ginger, dairy free yogurt, and cozy spices.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy recipe: This moist vegan gingerbread loaf is bursting with strong ginger and rich molasses flavor. It’s the perfect holiday dessert for any party or celebration.
- Simple ingredients: Like all my recipes, I aim to use easily accessible ingredients that yield the best results. This vegan cake is no exception! It’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
- Starbucks copycat: This recipe was inspired by the seasonal Starbucks gingerbread loaf. My vegan version has the same lovely aroma and moist texture, but you can enjoy it in the comfort of your own home using simple ingredients. Plus make your whole house smell like Christmas!
Ingredient notes
- Dairy free milk: Use your favorite non-dairy milk of choice such as almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or coconut milk. Just make sure it's unsweetened and unflavored!
- Vegan yogurt: Again, use your favorite vegan yogurt! Yogurt is the best secret for perfectly fluffy cake!
- Brown sugar: Opt for light brown sugar or coconut sugar as an alternative.
- Molasses: Molasses gives this lovely Christmas cake its classic gingerbread flavor! I recommend using unsulphured molasses, as blackstrap molasses is more bitter rather than sweet.
- Oil: Use any neutral tasting oil such as canola oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, or melted refined coconut oil. For this gingerbread loaf recipe, I do not recommend substituting with melted vegan butter. From my recipe testing, I found that using oil results in a delicate, spongy, soft, and tender cake. Butter results in a more dense and less moist cake.
- Leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda work together to get this spiced cake to rise beautifully. No eggs needed! The combination of both also gives this loaf its incredibly tender texture.
- Spices: Use the festive flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to make this must-have treat for the holidays.
- Sea salt: Just a pinch enhances the other flavors and brings everything together.
- Flour: Use all purpose flour or your favorite 1:1 gluten free flour blend. Pro-tip: Always sift flour and other powdery ingredients into the mixing bowl to break up any lumps!
How to make vegan gingerbread loaf cake
The full instructions for this vegan ginger loaf cake are found down below in the recipe card.
Step 1: Whisk wet ingredients together
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the liquid ingredients together until incorporated. Add the ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
Step 2: Add dry ingredients to bowl
Add the flour to the large bowl and stir together using a rubber spatula. This makes sure everything gets combined and allows you to easily scrape out every last bit of the mixture.
Step 4: Let cool then decorate
Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare topping. Pictured is my homemade vegan buttercream frosting. You could also whisk together a simple icing or just dust with powdered sugar.
Baking tips
- Don’t over-mix the batter! Over-mixing will result in a chewy, dense cake.
- Use the toothpick test. To test whether your loaf is done, stick a toothpick in the top of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, the cake is cooked through.
- Let the cake cool slightly. Once removed from the oven, allow the loaf cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire cooling rack.
- Measure each ingredient accurately! Make sure to follow the recipe directions and use correct measuring cups and spoons to ensure baking success.
How to measure baking ingredients
Use this helpful guide and become a better baker in no time! These might seem straightforward, but they're worth a reminder.
Flour
Use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Do not scoop flour out of the bag or container, you’ll end up with more than you need. Instead, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then use the back of a knife to level off the top.
Brown sugar
Brown sugar should be packed into a measuring cup. Using a spoon, scoop the brown sugar into your dry measuring cup then firmly press down until it’s tight, compact, and level with the top of the cup.
Baking powder and baking soda
Both baking powder and baking soda should be measured using a measuring spoon to scoop each out of the container. Once scooped, level it off using the container or a knife.
Liquids and semi-liquids
Liquids used in baking, such as dairy free milk and oil, should be measured at eye level using a liquid measuring cup. As you pour the liquid into the cup, bend down to make sure the liquid is exactly at the measuring amount.
Semi-liquids, like vegan yogurt and molasses, should be measured in dry measuring cups. The consistency is too thick to be measured accurately in liquid measuring cups.
Frequently asked questions
If your gingerbread loaf sank in the middle, it could be that you measured the ingredients inaccurately (mostly commonly oil or yogurt) or added too much of the leavening agents. Adding too much baking powder or baking soda can cause the loaf cake to rise too fast, creating a hole. When it’s removed from the oven, the top sinks into the hole. Another reason could be if you opened the oven door at any stage to check on the process, as this alters the temperature.
Serve with a cup a tea or coffee for an afternoon snack or with vegan hot chocolate for dessert. For extra sweetness, top a slice for a spoonful of vegan whipped cream!
Loaf cake is best enjoyed the day of baking or the next day. Keep it stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. For longer storage, place covered in the fridge for up to 5 days or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Related recipes
Try these tasty vegan desserts next:
- My better than Starbucks vegan lemon loaf cake is bursting with fresh citrus flavor.
- This vegan olive oil cake looks impressive but is really easy to make.
- These vegan vanilla cupcakes are a veganized classic, great for any occasion.
- My vegan banana bread is super simple to make with common pantry ingredients.
- These vegan madeleines are perfectly light and fluffy.
- My vegan coffee cake is moist, soft, and perfectly sweet with a crunchy cinnamon streusel topping.
- Want more gingerbread flavor? Check out my easy gingerbread baked oatmeal and vegan gingerbread latte.
I hope you love this gingerbread loaf cake as much as we do! Please let me know what you think by leaving a rating and review below. Also, do you find my ingredient notes and cooking tips helpful? I want to make sure I'm providing the best information and would love to hear what's most helpful to you.
Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup dairy free milk
- ½ cup vegan yogurt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
Vegan Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoon dairy free milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a standard loaf pan (8.5×4.5 or 9×5) with parchment paper or grease with oil spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dairy free milk, vegan yogurt, brown sugar, molasses, and canola oil. Add ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until combined.
- Add spooned-and-leveled flour to the mixing bowl and stir using a rubber spatula. You want the flour to be just combined, but be careful not to over-mix the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until cooked through and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before flipping the loaf onto a cooling rack to let cool completely.
- Once cooled, prepare frosting. Place room temperature vegan butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes. Add dairy free milk and vanilla and beat for 1-3 minutes, until desired consistency is reached. Alternatively, dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
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