With Christmas right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to make this Eggless, Vegan Gingerbread Cake! This deliciously moist and relatively healthy spice cake is a traditional Western treat that is served around the winter holidays, and now you can make it at home, too.
Table of Contents
About Gingerbread Cake
Gingerbread Cake is a moist, soft, deeply spiced cake with a strong aroma and taste of ginger that is traditionally made for Christmas. My version happens to be eggless, easy to make vegan, and is quite healthy from the addition of whole wheat flour.
I have wanted to make an eggless version of gingerbread cake for quite some time now. While I had to develop my own recipe, the cake was a hit at home. Not to toot my own horn, but this cake is damn good. You won’t even know that eggs have not been used.
Want more Christmas baking inspiration? You can also check out my Christmas Fruit Cake and Gingerbread Cookies.
Aside from being delightfully spiced and delectably moist and tender, this egg-free gingerbread loaf recipe is:
- Made With Just 10 Ingredients – Chances are you already have most of what you need on hand.
- Quick & Easy – It takes just 10 minutes of prep time and another 40 minutes of baking time to make this gingerbread loaf cake.
- Cozy & Nutritious – I’d consider this gingerbread cake to be rather healthy, as the recipe has been made with whole wheat flour (atta), which is rich in fiber and essential nutrients. Using unrefined jaggery as the sweetening element also adds a lovely dose of minerals to the mix.
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, you only need a few simple ingredients to make this yummy gingerbread loaf. Here’s your shopping list:
- Organic Whole Wheat Flour – If you have been following the blog for awhile, you know that I prefer to make my bakes as healthy as possible. Incorporating whole grain flour adds fiber and nutrients without any extra fuss! You are welcome to use all-purpose flour instead.
- Ginger – Feel free to use either ginger paste or grated ginger. In a pinch, you can also use ginger powder, but reduce the amount to just a teaspoon.
- Candied Ginger – For pops of chewy, spicy-sweet texture throughout. You can also use golden raisins (a.k.a. sultanas) or regular raisins for texture, or omit them altogether.
- Cinnamon Powder & Nutmeg – You can’t have a spice cake without spices! If possible, grate your own nutmeg for a more potent flavor.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder – These two leaveners act differently, so make sure to use them both.
- Plant based Yogurt – For moisture and richness. I have used cashew yogurt. You’re welcome to use your preferred plain, unsweetened plant-based yogurt if you like. You could also opt to make the cake with dairy yogurt (curd).
- Oil – Any neutral flavored oil (e.g. sunflower, grapeseed, peanut, or avocado oil) will do the trick. Avoid using olive oil, as it’ll give your bake a strange savory taste.
- Jaggery – Traditionally, gingerbread should be made with molasses. However, since molasses is not easily available here in India, jaggery is a good and healthy substitute.
- Water – If possible, try and use filtered water for the best results.
How is Gingerbread Cake made
This simple eggless ginger cake comes together with just 10 minutes of active prep. Here’s how:
Make Cake Batter
1. First mix the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and grated nutmeg very well in a bowl. You can also sieve the ingredients if you like. Add the ginger paste and candied ginger and mix again.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the ¼ cup cashew yogurt with ¼ cup water to a smooth and even mixture. Then add the oil to it and mix thoroughly. Keep aside.
3. Heat the ½ cup water till it is just hot (no need to boil) in a microwave or on the stovetop. Add jaggery to the hot water and stir well to dissolve it completely. If jaggery has impurities, strain it.
4. Pour the yogurt and oil mixture to the flour mixture. Next add the jaggery syrup. Fold the ingredients gently and make a smooth and fine batter. Do not over do the folding.
Bake Gingerbread Loaf
5. Pour into a greased baking round pan or loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C/356 degrees F for 35 to 40 mins. It took me 41 minutes to bake the cake.
6. Place the cake pan on a wired tray to cool. Once it cools enough to handle, remove the cake from the pan. Before you move to the next step ensure the cake is completely cooled.
7. Dust some icing sugar (a.k.a. confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar) on the cake if you like. You can even use a lacy doily to make a pretty snowflake pattern on it!
8. Slice the eggless gingerbread and serve plain or with some whipped cream or Vanilla Ice Cream. It also goes well with Tea or Coffee!
Expert Tips
- To measure dry ingredients for baking, it is advised that you use a kitchen scale. This level of precision will ensure that your bakes turn out beautifully every time! If you don’t have a scale on hand, be sure to use the spoon and sweep method for the best results.
- Invest in an oven thermometer. They’re only a few dollars, and they’re far more accurate than the dials on the oven!
- You could easily add sweetener of your choice in the cake. Brown sugar, molasses, white granulated sugar, raw sugar, demerara sugar, coconut sugar, palm sugar are some options. Add less or more of these sweeteners according to your preferences.
- Preheat the oven before you start making the batter, otherwise you’ll lose some of the rising power of the baking powder since it becomes activated as soon as it touches liquid.
- If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil or butter paper to protect it while you continue to bake it through.
FAQs
It should last in a covered container on the countertop for about 1 to 2 days.
About 30 to 35 minutes.
Yes! Replace the oil with the same amount of butter for a richer, slightly denser cake.
More Eggless Cakes To Try!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it in the recipe card or leave a comment below – I’d love to hear your feedback. For more vegetarian inspiration, sign up for my email updates or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or X.
Gingerbread Cake Recipe | Eggless Gingerbread Loaf
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour (whole meal flour)
- 2 teaspoon ginger paste or grated ginger, check point no 1 in the notes below
- 2 tablespoon candied ginger or golden raisins – optional
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg ground nutmeg or nutmeg powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup yogurt vegan or dairy
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup oil
For the jaggery syrup
- ¾ cup jaggery powder or grated/finely chopped jaggery
- ½ cup water
Instructions
Making cake batter
- Mix the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg powder well in a bowl. You can also sift the above ingredients.
- Add the ginger paste and candied ginger and mix again.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt with ¼ cup water till smooth. Then add the oil to it and mix thoroughly. Keep aside.
- Remember to preheat the oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees C/356 degrees F.
- Heat ½ cup water till its just hot (no need to boil) in a microwave or on stove top.
- Add jaggery to the hot water and stir until the jaggery is dissolved. If there are impurities in the jaggery syrup, strain it using a fine mesh strainer.
- Pour the yogurt and oil mixture to the flour mixture.
- Then add the jaggery syrup.
- Fold the ingredients well and make a smooth batter.
Baking gingerbread cake
- Pour into a greased baking round pan or loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C/356 degrees F for 35 to 40 mins. It took me 41 minutes to bake the cake.
- If the top gets browned quickly while baking, cover with parchment paper or aluminium foil and then continue to baking.
- Check the baked cake with a bamboo skewer and it should come out clean.
- Place the cake pan or a wired tray to cool completely.
- Once cooled, remove the cake from the pan and place on a board or plate.
- Dust some icing sugar or confectioner's sugar on the cake if you prefer.
- Slice the eggless gingerbread and serve as is or with some whipped cream.
Notes
- To make 2 teaspoons of ginger paste, crush 2 inches peeled ginger in a mortar-pestle to a fine consistency.
- Feel free to add brown sugar or molasses instead of jaggery. You could add about ¾ cup of brown sugar or ½ cup of molasses or ½ cup jaggery syrup. Note you can always add any of these sweeteners less or more depending on your preferences.
- Since I have used organic powdered jaggery, there are no impurities. If there are impurities in the jaggery syrup, then filter the syrup and use it.
- Make this cake easily with all-purpose flour or an equal mix of both all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour. Note that with all-purpose flour you will need to add less liquids. So add about ⅓ cup of water when dissolving the jaggery.
- Oven temperatures vary. Keep a check when the cake is baking and it can take less or more time in your oven to bake.
- Note that the approximate nutrition info is for one slice of the cake.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Gingerbread Cake recipe from the blog archives, first published in December 2013 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
This is the loveliest cake recipe I’ve ever come across! I’ve baked a lot of cakes from your site and others, but this one literally takes the cake.
I baked this twice in 2 weeks with some old Goan madachem jaggery we had at home, and it tasted absolutely amazing both times!
Had to tweak the recipe a slight bit w.r.t jaggery since it was already in syrup form, and added maida instead of wheat, but everything else is the same.
I’ve been having a lot of trouble with this particular jaggery, because it has a flavour of its own and tends to overpower everything else in any cake, but with this candied ginger and the works, it tasted absolutely magnificent!
Thanks a lot ma’am! If possible do try it out with this jaggery someday.
Thanks a lot Sindhuja. Glad to read. I have made cakes with palm jaggery earlier, but not this one. Will try one day. Thanks again.
Wow this looks so easy and yummy, and healthy because of ginger! Going to make it for sure!
Tired ur cake it was amazing and v easy to make thank you! Just have one question how long will the cake stay without refrigeration?
pleased to know this jayashree 🙂 if your country is chilled at this time they should last for a day or 2 without refrigeration but I bet they would get over soon 😉
OK thank u and yes it got over as soon as it came out from oven 🙂
welcome jayashree.
Hello mam
I have never tasted a gingerbread cake /cookie . neither do I get it here . can you tell me how it tastes?
Can I bake cake /cookies in a gas tandoor oven ?
the gingerbread cake has a lovely aroma of ginger and is a soft textured cake. the cookie is soft textured. they are not like the indian version of ginger biscuits. there is another baked goodie called as ginger snaps which are crisp and thin. yes you can bake in a gas tandoor oven. time will vary.
I dont’t have an oven and will be trying it out in the cooker, what should be the duration ?
should take 30 to 35 minutes.
wow healthy and so easy to make with available ingredients. i am definitely going to try it out 🙂
thanks.