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This recipe was originally published on November 1, 2017.

There are few smells more inviting than that of warm gingerbread!  This spiced gingerbread bundt cake is a delicious and easy way to welcome the Christmas season to your home.  This is one cake that our family looks forward to enjoying during December.

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Is gingerbread a cake?

Yes, gingerbread can be a cake or a cookie.  In colonial America, gingerbread actually referred to a cake.  My recipe is based on Martha Washington’s gingerbread cake recipe from the 1700s.

What is in gingerbread cake?

• Flour.  I used all-purpose flour for this recipe.
• Rising Agent.  Since this recipe contains the acidic ingredients of molasses and brown sugar, we use baking soda to leaven the cake.
• Butter.  Real butter has a better flavor than margarine.
• Sweetener.  Light brown sugar and molasses add a rich, caramel-like flavor to the cake.
• Spices.  I use ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace to create a nice gingerbread flavor.  Hints of orange zest also deepen the flavor.
• Eggs. Eggs add structure and stability to a cake, along with richness.
• Liquids. Warm buttermilk ensures a good rise and moist texture, while the coffee and orange juice add more flavor.

How to Make Homemade Gingerbread Cake Mix

You can mix up your very own homemade cake mix for this gingerbread bundt cake.  Just whisk together all the dry ingredients until they’re smooth and well combined, then seal it in a zip-top bag or airtight container and store for up to 3 months.  Then, make the cake as the recipe dictates.

What frosting goes with gingerbread cake?

This bundt cake technically doesn’t need a glaze or frosting, since it tastes great with just a dusting of icing sugar.  If you want to try it with an icing, cream cheese frosting would be a good choice.

What do you serve with gingerbread cake?

One of the best things to enjoy with a slice of gingerbread cake is a hot cup of coffee.  However, you could also have it with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream or even brandy butter.

How long will gingerbread cake keep?

Gingerbread cake will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.  If you want to store it longer, I’d recommend freezing it.

Can gingerbread cake be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze gingerbread cake.  Slice and seal it in a plastic zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.  Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave.

How to Make Gingerbread Bundt Cake

Gather the ingredients.  You’ll need all-purpose flour, butter, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, coffee, orange juice, orange zest, buttermilk, baking soda, and spices.

Lightly spray a 10-cup bundt pan with a baking spray such as Baker’s Joy.  This particular brand of spray contains flour, which helps release the cake from the pan.

Sift the flour and spices into a bowl, then whisk until mixed.

Cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add in the molasses.

Add the eggs one at a time, putting in 2 tablespoons of flour with each egg to prevent the batter from curdling.

Add the buttermilk, coffee, orange juice and zest, and the rest of the flour mixture and blend on medium-low speed until combined.  Scrape down the sides and mix again on low speed to ensure a good mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

Bake the cake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the deepest part of the cake comes out with a couple moist crumbs attached.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack.

Let the cake cool for 30 minutes on the wire rack, then dust with powdered sugar, slice, and serve.

Pro Tips

• Use a kitchen scale to quickly and accurately measure the ingredients.  A scale also saves you from dirtying more measuring cups!
• Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.  This will make a smoother, better textured cake.
• Need to warm up the ingredients quickly?  Submerge the eggs in hot tap water for 10 minutes.  Cube the butter and microwave it in 5-second intervals until softened.
• Grease the bundt pan with a baking spray, such as Baker’s Joy.  It’s faster and ensures an easy removal.
• Be careful not to overbake the cake, or it will be dry.  A skewer poked into the deepest part of the cake should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
• Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan.  Don’t wait too long, or the cake will stick.

Our Go-To Kitchen Tools

• Set of 4 Strainers: these stainless steel strainers make sifting ingredients easy.
• Baker’s Joy: this non-stick baking spray makes it quick to prep your bundt pan.
• Nordicware Bundt Pan: this beautiful pan adds a European flair to your cakes.
• Cooling Racks: these racks keep your cakes from getting soggy as they cool.

Find all your Christmas baking recipes here.

• Cardamom Snaps: these chewy molasses cookies are similar to gingersnaps.
• Mexican Wedding Cookies: each bite of these buttery cookies has the crunch of pecans.
• Gingerbread Cookie Ornaments: hang these tasty cookies on the tree or just eat them.

The pleasure of a 5-star review for this gingerbread bundt cake would be greatly appreciated.

Spiced Gingerbread Bundt Cake

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★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 16 slices 1x

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Description

Spiced gingerbread bundt cake is an old fashioned Christmas dessert that’s moist and simple to decorate.  Make this easy recipe for your Christmas party, or give as a gift.  You’ll be coming back for a second slice of this holiday dessert!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons orange zest, from 1 large orange
• 1/4 cup orange juice, from 1 large orange (60 ml)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (115g)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed (100g)
• 1 cup molasses (300g)
• 1/2 cup warm buttermilk (120 ml)
• 1/4 cup black coffee, at room temperature (60 ml)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with Baker’s Joy (a non-stick spray with flour in it), or grease and flour the pan thoroughly.
2. Sift in the flour and baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace into a large bowl.  Whisk until blended.
3. Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth.  Add the brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and lightened in color, about 2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl after 1 minute of mixing.
4. Pour in the molasses and beat until well mixed.  Add the eggs one at a time, adding two tablespoons of the flour mixture with each egg to prevent the mixture from curdling.  Beat until smooth.
5. Warm the buttermilk for 20 seconds in the microwave, stirring halfway through.  Put a wooden or glass utensil in the milk as you microwave it to break the surface tension, which will prevent explosions.
6. Add the buttermilk, coffee, orange juice, orange zest, and the rest of the flour mixture to the batter and stir on a low speed until combined, then beat until the batter is smooth.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the surface with a spatula.
8. Bake in the middle of the oven at 350 F for 45-50 minutes, until a metal skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
9. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out the cake onto a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
10. After the cake has cooled for half an hour, sift a light dusting of powdered sugar on top of the cake.  If you’re using a cream cheese glaze instead, wait until the cake is completely cooled, about 2 hours.
11. Serve the cake in slices, warm or at room temperature.

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Notes

• Make this recipe perfectly the first time.  Check out the step-by-step photos and pro tips before the recipe card.
• The pleasure of a 5-star review for this gingerbread bundt cake recipe would be greatly appreciated.
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Want to see our latest recipes?  Subscribe to our email newsletter to get our latest recipes, fun food facts, food puns, and behind the scenes news about our blog.

• Category: Cake
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: Christmas gingerbread cake, gingerbread bundt cake

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