Gingerbread Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

This easy gingerbread cake with vegan cream cheese frosting is incredibly moist and fudgy. Top with seasonal fruits and vivid pistachios for a stunning Christmas centrepiece.

I meant to post this vegan gingerbread cake last week, but sadly real life got in the way. I’ve been juggling several day job priorities as well as dealing with a rather intense flare-up of anxiety and something had to give. Since this blog doesn’t yet provide me with income, it got shoved down the list. BUT – I assure you that this gingerbread cake is totally worth the wait. It’s moist, it’s dense, it’s fudgy, it’s gingery, it’s tangy, it’s Christmas in a loaf pan.

You’re gonna love it.

You all know that I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. I’m not one to be satisfied with a plain old apple pie when I can chuck in a few sprigs of rosemary or add a drizzle of caramel sauce. I love it when people try my bakes and are surprised by a flavour combination or shocked that a vegan cake could taste so good. While this gingerbread cake leans more toward the classic side of things, it definitely still packs a punch of shock and awe. Everyone will be surprised by how moist and flavourful this cake is, especially when you reveal that no eggs or butter were involved!

I’m not an expert in vegan baking by any means, but I can honestly say that this is one of the best gingerbread cakes my workmates and I have ever eaten. And none of us is vegan. It stays true to the classic caramelly, spicy flavours of gingerbread while nixing the dairy and eggs. The “cream cheese” frosting, made from a base of soaked cashews, is the perfect pairing. The tang of the frosting complements the deep, dark flavours of the cake and brightens everything up a notch.

This gingerbread cake is a beautiful, plant-based alternative to traditional Christmas cakes and buttery treats and tastes just as magical.

How to make this gingerbread cake

As a Canadian, I’m used to gingerbread in the form of cookies. That’s what I grew up eating, and I still consider the gingerbread man an integral part of festive baking. But when I heard that most Brits are more familiar with the gingerbread cake, I knew I had to give it a go.

Although a lot of people panic when it comes to vegan baking, I promise this gingerbread cake is super easy to make.

First, grab yourself a small bowl and mix up your chia egg. This will be our egg replacement in this vegan gingerbread cake. Stir together one tablespoon of chia seeds with two and a half tablespoons of water and allow the egg to bloom on the counter while you prepare the other ingredients. The mixture should become gelatinous and thick, much like a regular egg. This will act as our binder to keep the gingerbread cake together and to add a little extra moisture that we miss from chicken eggs and butter.

Next, we combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls, using a hand mixer to really get some air into the wet ingredients. Because we aren’t creaming butter or whipping up eggs in this cake, we really want to make sure we’re adding extra air into the wet ingredients at this point to help the gingerbread cake rise. I tested this recipe both with a hand whisk and a hand mixer, and I didn’t get the same results when I used a hand whisk. It still tasted great, but it was much denser and fudgy (not a bad thing!) than when I used a hand mixer. You’ll need the electric mixer for that added lift.

Before you add the batter to the pan, be sure you’ve greased, floured, and lined your loaf tin. I made the mistake of not flouring the tin the first time I baked this gingerbread cake. It was a massacre. Save yourself the heartbreak and flour your tin!

Then, all you have to do is sit back, kick your feet up for 40 minutes, and let the delicious scent of gingerbread waft throughout your home. Next to eating it, this was my favourite part – my entire flat smelled of Christmas for two days. It was magical.

If you have time, it’s best to let your gingerbread cake cool for a good two hours and then wrap it up and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The resting process will help the flavours develop and you’ll be left with a vegan gingerbread cake that everyone will fight over for a second slice.

I hope you love this gingerbread cake with vegan cream cheese frosting. If you make it, don’t forget to take a photo and tag me on Instagram @naturallysweet_kitchen and use the hashtag #naturallysweetkitchen, so I can share your images. It makes my day to see these bakes come to life in your kitchen.

5 from 2 votes

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Gingerbread Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

This easy gingerbread cake with vegan cream cheese frosting is incredibly moist and fudgy. Top with seasonal fruits and vivid pistachios for a stunning Christmas centrepiece.

Category Cake

Keyword Gingerbread Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Cooling 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Serves 8

Author Amanda | Naturally Sweet Kitchen

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake

• 60 g spelt flour
• 65 g unbleached plain flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 75 ml unsulphured molasses
• 75 ml boiling water
• 90 ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil
• 150 g coconut sugar
• 1 chia egg*
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Vegan “Cream Cheese” Frosting

• 125 g raw cashews
• 1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp dairy-free milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Seasonal fruit for decorating
• Chopped pistachios for decorating

Method

Gingerbread Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease, line, and flour an 8 x 4 inch loaf tin.
2. Sift together the flours, baking soda, and spices in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. In a measuring cup, whisk together the molasses and boiling water until fully combined. Set aside.
4. Using a hand mixer, beat together the oil, coconut sugar, chia egg, and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the watered down molasses and beat well.
5. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until all the flour disappears. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Place the cake in the tin on a wire rack to cool completely before turning out, about 90 minutes.

Vegan “Cream Cheese” Frosting

1. Place the cashews in a heatproof bowl and cover completely with boiling water. Allow to soak for at least 1 hour.
2. Once the cashews have soaked, drain away the water and add them to a high-powered blender along with the vinegar, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt.
3. Blend the ingredients until completely smooth. You may have to stop and scrape down the sides of the jug and stir a few times depending on the strength of your blender.
4. Decant the frosting into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. When you’re ready to decorate, whip the frosting on high speed until it softens and becomes light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Assembly

1. Once the cake is completely cool, tip it out onto a serving plate so the bottom becomes the top.
2. Spoon the frosting onto the top of the cake and smooth it out using an offset spatula.

3. Top the cake with halved figs, redcurrants, and chopped pistachios, or your preferred seasonal fruit and choice of nuts.

Notes

• *To make a chia egg, mix together 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and 2 ½ tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-8 minutes, or until it becomes thick and gelatinous. Use as directed in the recipe.
• This cake will keep covered in the refrigerator, without the fruit and frosting, for up to 1 week. Once the frosting and fruit have been added, it should be consumed immediately.