It's one of my favorite things to bake around Christmas when I want all the flavor of gingerbread cookies without rolling, cutting, and decorating batches of dough. The batter comes together with basic baking equipment, and the loaf is just as good made a day ahead.
For more festive baking, you'll find it alongside my favorite cakes, cookies, cheesecakes, and puddings in this collection of vegan Christmas desserts.
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Why this recipe works
Really moist, without being dense. The loaf has a soft, springy crumb and stays tender for several days rather than drying out after the first slice.
Proper gingerbread flavor. Molasses and plenty of gingerbread spice give it a deep, warming flavor rather than simply tasting like a cinnamon cake.
Easy enough for casual holiday baking. No mixer or complicated decorating is involved -just a loaf pan, two bowls, and a simple icing.
Cream cheese icing balances the spice. The tangy topping works especially well against the dark molasses and makes the loaf feel a little more special for Christmas.
Key ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this recipe. Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
oy milk + apple cider vinegar: These make the vegan buttermilk, which adds acidity and helps keep the crumb soft. Soy milk is my first choice because it curdles particularly well, although oat milk also works.
Unsweetened applesauce: This adds moisture and helps replace some of the structure you would normally get from eggs. Make sure you're using unsweetened apple puree rather than sweetened applesauce.
Molasses: This is essential for that characteristic dark gingerbread flavor. Use regular sugar cane or unsulphured molasses - not blackstrap molasses, which is much more bitter and will overpower the cake.
Light muscovado sugar: I like muscovado here because it brings extra moisture and caramel-molasses notes. Soft brown sugar also works, or you can use a mixture of light and dark muscovado for an even deeper flavor.
Olive oil: You only need a relatively small amount, but it helps keep the crumb soft and springy. Use a mild olive oil or another neutral oil such as sunflower or rapeseed.
Gingerbread spices: I use ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves or allspice. This loaf is intentionally quite generously spiced, particularly with ginger. If you prefer a milder gingerbread, reduce the ground ginger slightly.
Vegan cream cheese: This gives the icing the thick, tangy finish shown in the photos. I use a thick store-bought cream cheese or my homemade vegan cream cheese. For a thinner glaze, you can use orange or lemon juice instead.
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how to make it
Here's a visual overview of this recipe. Please refer to the detailed card at the end of this page for full written instructions.
Give the soy milk and vinegar the full 10 minutes before mixing the batter. It should look slightly curdled and thicker than when you started. I find soy milk gives the most reliable buttermilk effect here.
When mixing the wet ingredients, make sure the muscovado sugar is properly broken up before the flour goes in. It tends to hold onto little lumps, and they're much easier to whisk out at this stage than once the batter has thickened.
I sift the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in two additions rather than all at once. This makes it easier to fold everything together gently without overworking the batter. Stop as soon as you no longer see pockets or streaks of flour - continuing to mix past that point can give you a tighter, less fluffy crumb.
One little trick I use for a neater loaf is to place a very thin strip of vegan butter down the center of the batter before baking. It encourages the loaf to open along the middle rather than cracking randomly across the surface. It doesn't affect the flavor, so you can leave it off if the appearance doesn't matter to you.
Don't rely on the dark color of the cake to judge whether it's baked. The molasses means it already looks deeply browned quite early on. I start checking at around 45 minutes with a skewer through the center - you're looking for it to come out clean or with a few soft crumbs rather than wet batter.
Try not to open the oven before that point. Loaf cakes need time to build enough structure through the center, and a sudden drop in temperature can encourage them to sink.
Once baked, I leave the loaf in the pan for only around 10 minutes before transferring it to a rack. I've found that leaving it sitting in the pan for too long traps steam around the bottom and can create a slightly gummy strip along the base.
Let it cool completely before adding the icing. If you want the thick cream cheese finish shown in the photos, the cake needs to be completely cold, or the frosting will soften and run down the sides. For really clean slices, let the icing sit and firm up before cutting; if you don't mind a softer, gooier topping, there's no need to wait.
Christina's recipe tips
Weigh the flour if possible. Loaf cakes are especially sensitive to too much flour, and scooping directly from the bag can compact considerably more into the cup.
Don't use blackstrap molasses. Its strong, bitter flavor is very different from regular molasses and will dominate the gingerbread spices.
Check your raising agents. If your baking powder or baking soda has been sitting in the cupboard for a long time, replace it. Fresh leaveners are important for getting a light loaf rather than a heavy or sunken center.
Adjust the ginger to your taste. I deliberately make this loaf quite warmly spiced. Reduce the ground ginger by ½-1 teaspoon if you prefer a gentler flavor.
Use a metal loaf pan where possible. This recipe was developed in a metal 1-pound loaf pan. Different pan materials and dimensions can change how quickly the center bakes, so start checking at 45 minutes rather than relying solely on the clock.
Make Ahead & Storage
This loaf is excellent for making a day ahead - the molasses, applesauce, and oil keep it soft, and the spice flavor settles in beautifully overnight.
Once completely cool, keep the unfrosted loaf in an airtight container and add the cream cheese icing when you're ready to serve, or frost it ahead and refrigerate it.
Store the loaf at room temperature for up to 3 days if frosted, or around 5 days without the cream cheese icing. You can also refrigerate it for up to 1 week; bring it back to room temperature before serving for the softest texture.
For longer storage, freeze individual slices in an airtight container for up to 1 month, with parchment between the slices. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
More Gingerbread Recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) soy milk or oat milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 60 g (¼ cup) unsweetened applesauce apple puree
- 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
- 100 g (⅓ cup) molasses cane molasses, not blackstrap
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 120 g (½ cup + 1 tsp) light muscovado sugar *see note 1
- 240 g (2 cups) plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Icing *see note 2
- 180 g (1 ½ cups) powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 60 g (4 tbsp) vegan cream cheese or 4 tablespoons lemon juice/orange juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease a 1-pound loaf pan with some oil or vegan butter and line it with a sling of parchment paper - leaving an overhang on the sides.To make vegan buttermilk, mix together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- Combine the wet ingredients: Add the vegan buttermilk, applesauce, olive oil, molasses, vanilla, and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Make sure they're are no lumps of sugar left in the mixture.
- Combine dry ingredients: To a large separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt, and whisk to combine.
- Make the batter: Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 2 parts. Fold the ingredients into the batter between each increment until there are no pockets or streaks of flour. Do not be tempted to overmix!
- Add the cake batter to the prepared loaf pan. Optionally, cut thin strips of vegan butter and place them down the center of the loaf, this will help the loaf to crack in the center once it bakes (*see note 3).
- Bake: Bake for 45-55 mins. After 45 minutes, check the cake is ready by inserting a knife or toothpick into it, which should come out clean. If the toothpick has cake residue on it, bake for another 5-10 minutes as needed.Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.
- Make the glaze: Mix all the glaze ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.Once the cake has cooled, pour the icing on top. Allow the icing to dry for at least an hour to get nice clean cuts or enjoy it straight away for a gooey frosting consistency.
- Storage: Wrap in tin foil or place it in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days (with icing) or 5 days (without icing). You can also refrigerate it for up to a week, I recommend bringing the cake back to room temperature for an hour before serving.You can also freeze it in an airtight container for up to a month. To defrost, place it in the fridge overnight.
Notes
- Light Muscovado Sugar - Sub for soft brown sugar, or use a combination of light and dark muscovado sugar for an even deeper molasses flavor. You can also use coconut sugar, but the loaf will not be quite as moist.
- Icing - Vegan cream cheese will give a thick frosting (pictured) whereas lemon/orange juice will result in a runner consistency.
- Adding a thin line of butter slices down the middle of the batter helps to create a lovely crack in the center of the cake.
- You can add some dried cranberries, raisins, or sultanas to the gingerbread cake batter for an additional festive twist.
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*This recipe was originally published in November 2020. The recipe has since been improved and updated to simplify the instructions.
