Almond Flour Gingerbread Cake made grain-free and dairy-free. This moist, warmly spiced molasses cake is loaded with holiday flavors! I have included a vegan option as well.
This grain-free gingerbread cake is the ultimate expression of classic gingerbread cookies, infused into a fluffy cake.
Made with almond flour, this slice of holiday cheer is the ideal Christmas dessert for those with dietary restrictions.
Pair it with a glass of The Best Vegan Eggnog for the most incredible festive celebration in your mouth!
I love the combination of this spiced molasses cake with creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting. I make my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting which is made with raw cashews instead of cream cheese.
The warming spices with the creamy tang is just a magical match that really pleases the tastebuds.
This recipe makes one small 8-inch cake, but you can easily double the recipe if you’d like to make a 9-inch cake.
You can also make a double batch and make a 2-tier layer cake using 8-inch cake pans.
I find the small size of this cake is ideal for those who don’t want a lot of leftovers and are serving a small amount of people (9 or fewer).
For a low carb version of this cake, make my Low-Carb Gingerbread Loaf which is made with coconut flour. Turn it into a keto gingerbread cake by baking it in a cake pan instead of a loaf pan.
Let’s discuss the simple list of ingredients for this healthy gingerbread loaf.
Ingredients for Almond Flour Gingerbread Cake:
Almond Flour: Taking the place of regular all-purpose flour, almond flour creates a light and fluffy texture in this grain-free cake recipe.
I use Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour. I’ve noticed different brands of almond flour have different absorbencies so know that the results may vary if you use something other than Bob’s Red Mill.
Molasses: Unsulphered molasses is a key ingredient in any gingerbread treat, giving it that rich flavor that’s impossible to get anywhere else.
Is molasses paleo friendly? Blackstrap molasses comes from boiled sugar cane or beets and is therefore considered paleo friendly since it is minimally processed and naturally sourced. In this sense, this paleo gingerbread recipe is suitable for the paleo diet.
Pure Maple Syrup: While we could use only molasses to sweeten the cake, I like the combination of pure maple syrup and molasses so that the molasses flavor isn’t overwhelming.
Eggs: A couple eggs help bring fluffy texture to the cake. I have tested the recipe using flax eggs as an egg replacer and it turned out great. If you’re looking for a vegan gingerbread cake, I recommend using the flax egg replacement option.
Vanilla Extract: A little pure vanilla extract brings a warm flavor that makes the cake taste so inviting.
Baking Powder: The leavening agent here. Baking powder helps the cake rise and ensures it holds together nicely after it is sliced.
Ground Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, Ground Nutmeg: The classic gingerbread spices! Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg bring warm flavor and a hint of mild spice to this molasses spice cake.
If you have fresh ginger on hand, feel free to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger instead of ground ginger.
These warm spices are what make this cake taste like a gingerbread adventure.
Sea Salt: A pinch of salt enhances all of the flavors. Don’t skip it!
The cake recipe as written is not super sweet. For a sweeter cake, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of coconut sugar.
This gluten-free gingerbread cake is delicious on its own, but it is even better when frosted!
For Frosting the Cake:
Whip up a batch of your favorite cream cheese frosting, or make my dairy-free Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, which uses raw cashews.
You can also frost the cake with Keto Chocolate Buttercream or Dairy-Free Chocolate Ganache.
A simple powdered sugar glaze is also a great option. Simply stir 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of water together in a small bowl.
Now that we’ve discussed the simple ingredients for gingerbread cake, let’s bake it!
How to Make Almond Flour Gingerbread Cake:
If you’re making the optional (but recommended) Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, prepare it up to 5 days ahead of time. Store it in a sealed jar or container in the refrigerator. If you prefer regular cream cheese frosting, feel free to make your favorite recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. You can also use an 8-inch round cake pan.
In a mixing bowl, mix the eggs, avocado oil, molasses, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract until the wet ingredients are well-combined. I use a fork to mix everything together but you can use an electric mixer if you have one.
Add the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sea salt to the large bowl and mix until a thick sticky batter forms.
Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan and use a rubber spatula to spread it into an even layer. It will look like there isn’t enough batter for a cake – this is normal.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges of the cake appear slightly golden brown and the center feels somewhat firm when gently poked.
Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before frosting it with the dairy-free cream cheese frosting. If you’d like, sprinkle the top of the frosting with chopped walnuts or pecans.
If you want the cake to slice nicely, place it in the refrigerator and chill for several hours, until the frosting has set up. Chilling the frosted cake will make it easier to slice.
Slice cake and serve!
Store leftover cake in an airtight container or a zip lock bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also wrap the pan in plastic wrap and store it for the first two days on the counter if you’d like.
This cake freezes very well. Freeze in a zip lock bag or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
The cake tastes better the next day after it acquires more depth of flavor. For this reason, don’t be afraid to bake the cake a few days in advance of when you need it.
And that’s it! An easy holiday dessert that’s lower in sugar and suitable for folks who eat a grain-free or gluten-free diet.
The moist crumb and warm spices make this gluten free gingerbread cake recipe so dreamy.
If you love gingerbread treats, also try my Paleo Gingerbread Loaf and my Chewy Oatmeal Ginger Molasses Cookies.
Looking for more holiday desserts? Try out these reader favorites!
More Holiday Desserts:
- Gluten-Free Eggnog Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Cake
- Gluten-Free Apple Bundt Cake
- Dairy-Free Keto Pecan Pie
- Crock Pot Rice Pudding
- Dairy-Free Low-Carb Peanut Butter Pie
- Gluten-Free Apple Pie with Granola Topping
If you’re a gingerbread lover, you’ll get a kick out of this beautiful gingerbread cake!
Enjoy this gingerbread spice cake this holiday season!
Almond Flour Gingerbread Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs *
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 5 Tbsp unsulphured molasses
- 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups finely ground almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 batch Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting optional
Instructions
- If you’re making the optional (but recommended) Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, prepare it up to 5 days ahead of time. Store it in a sealed jar or container in the refrigerator. If you prefer regular cream cheese frosting, feel free to make your favorite recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. You can also use an 8-inch round cake pan.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the eggs, avocado oil, molasses, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract until the wet ingredients are well-combined. I use a fork to mix everything together but you can use an electric mixer if you have one.
- Add the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sea salt to the large bowl and mix until a thick sticky batter forms.
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan and use a rubber spatula to spread it into an even layer. It will seem thick and it will look like there isn’t enough batter for a cake – this is normal.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges of the cake appear slightly golden brown and the center feels somewhat firm when gently poked.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before frosting it with the dairy-free cream cheese frosting. If you’d like, sprinkle the top of the frosting with chopped walnuts or pecans.
- If you want the cake to slice nicely, place it in the refrigerator and chill for several hours, until the frosting has set up. Chilling the frosted cake will make it easier to slice.
- Slice cake and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
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What can be used in place of almond flour to cut back on cost due to making a large amount of these cakes ? Or can half almond flour be used with another gluten free flour ?
Thank you
Laurieann
Hi Laurieann! I would recommend looking for a different recipe using the kind of flour you want to use. I haven’t tested this recipe using anything other than almond flour, so I’m not sure if any adjustments would need to be made when using a different kind of flour. If you were only making one cake, I would say it’s worth experimenting, but since you plan to make multiple, I’d play it safe and google a different recipe 🙂 Happy baking!
Made it exactly as written and it was delicious!
I’m so happy to hear it, Nancy! Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
For the gingerbread – how much vanilla extract? It’s not in your ingredients list…
Hi Nic! It’s there 🙂 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Hope you enjoy! xo
Did anyone else find that the batter was waaayyyy too thick? I had to sub almond flour for gluten free due to a nut allergy but the batter came out like bread crumbs and I had to add quite a bit of liquid.
Hi Serena! Subbing gluten-free flour for the almond flour was the culprit. Gluten-free flour is much more absorbent than almond flour, so the liquid portion of the recipe would have needed to change too, as you experienced 😉 Let me know if you have any other questions! xo
This gingerbread cake is excellent. Just one consideration…the vanilla extract was left off the ingredient list but mentioned in the instructions. I did not add extract as i didn’t notice that until afterwards, but the cake is delicious without it as well. Will definitely make it again.
I’m so happy you enjoy it, Barbara! Thanks for catching that – I added the vanilla extract to the ingredients list 🙂 Happy Holidays! xo
This looks amazing. I want to make into cupcakes vs a cake – what would I need to do to do so?
Hi Baylie! I haven’t tested the recipe as cupcakes but I would bake them at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. As an alternative, I have a gingerbread muffin recipe which you can see here: https://www.theroastedroot.net/paleo-gingerbread-muffins/