Easy Gingerbread Cake Recipe with Vanilla Cream Sauce for Holiday Dessert

This warm, deeply spiced gingerbread cake has a soft, fluffy crumb and gets topped with a buttery warm vanilla cream sauce, fresh banana slices, and whipped cream. One bowl, no mixer required, and it smells like the holidays the second it hits the oven.

Total time: about 55 minutes, makes 12 servings, and the sauce can be made a few days ahead and rewarmed.

My oven runs a little warm and the first time I made this cake I pulled it at 20 minutes because the top looked done — the center was still gooey. Gingerbread cake bakes deceptively fast on the outside while the middle catches up, so a toothpick test in the very center matters more than the clock here.

The batter for this gingerbread cake recipe is thin — almost pourable — right after you stir in the hot water. That’s completely normal and not a sign you did anything wrong. It bakes up into a dense, moist crumb, not a dry one.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One bowl, no mixer needed
• Deep molasses and spice flavor without being heavy
• The warm vanilla cream sauce makes it feel special enough for a holiday table
• Easy to make ahead — the sauce keeps in the fridge for days
• Freezes well if you want to bake it early
• Comes together in about 15 minutes of hands-on time

Ingredients

For the Gingerbread Cake:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup unsulphered molasses (not blackstrap)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup very hot water
• Bananas, sliced, for topping
• Fresh whipped cream, for topping

For the Vanilla Cream Sauce:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Use unsulphered or “fancy” molasses, never blackstrap — blackstrap is more bitter and can make the cake taste overpowering. A few bakers who found the molasses flavor too strong said cutting it back to 3/4 cup gave a milder, more balanced loaf without changing the texture.
• If you can’t find molasses, dark treacle works as a 1:1 swap and gives a similar deep, slightly bitter-sweet flavor.
• Taste your batter before baking — if you want a more intense spiced flavor, it’s easy to add a bit more cinnamon, ginger, or cloves at this stage.

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until smooth and light. This only takes a minute or two by hand with a whisk or spoon — no stand mixer needed.

Step 2: Mix in the Egg and Molasses

Add the beaten egg and molasses to the creamed butter mixture and stir until well combined and smooth.

Step 3: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir to combine, then slowly pour in the hot water and stir until smooth. The batter will be thin and almost pourable — that’s exactly right for this cake.

Step 4: Bake the Cake

Pour the batter into a greased 9×13″ pan and bake at 350°F for 20 to 35 minutes. Start checking at 20 minutes, but go by a toothpick inserted into the very center of the cake, not just the edges — the outside can look set while the middle is still wet, since this batter bakes from the edges in.

Step 5: Make the Vanilla Cream Sauce

While the cake bakes, add the sugar, butter, and cream to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts, then bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes — this is what thickens the sauce, so don’t cut the boiling time short. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Step 6: Serve Warm

Let the sauce cool for a few minutes, then serve the cake warm, topped with fresh sliced bananas, whipped cream, and a generous drizzle of the vanilla cream sauce.

Tips for the Best Results

• Don’t skip the toothpick test in the center — gingerbread cake can look done on top well before the middle has finished baking.
• If the molasses flavor feels too strong for your taste, cut it back to 3/4 cup next time rather than adding more spice to compensate.
• Rewarm leftover sauce gently on the stove or in short microwave bursts, stirring between each, so it doesn’t separate.

Variations and Add-ins

• No bananas on hand? The cake and sauce are just as good served plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead.
• For a stronger spice flavor, add a pinch of ground cardamom or black pepper along with the other spices.

Sarah

Gingerbread Cake

Warm, deeply spiced gingerbread cake with a soft crumb, topped with vanilla cream sauce, bananas, and whipped cream.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup unsulphered molasses
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup very hot water
• bananas, sliced, for topping
• fresh whipped cream, for topping
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

 

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg and molasses until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add to the wet mixture and mix, then stir in the hot water until the batter is smooth (it will be thin, and that is normal).
4. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 inch pan and bake at 350F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
5. While the cake bakes, combine the sugar, butter, and heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
6. Slice the warm cake and serve topped with sliced bananas, a generous pour of the warm vanilla cream sauce, and whipped cream.

Notes

• Use full-flavor (unsulphured) molasses here, not blackstrap — blackstrap is more bitter and intense, so if that is all you have, cut back to about 3/4 cup.
• The batter looks thin after you stir in the hot water. That is normal for this cake, not a mistake, and it bakes up into a soft, moist crumb.
• Start checking for doneness around 40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Make This Gingerbread Cake for Your Next Holiday Gathering

This is the kind of dessert that makes the whole house smell like the holidays while it bakes, and it’s easy enough to pull together on a weeknight. The warm vanilla sauce is what really makes it feel special, so don’t skip it.

If you give this gingerbread cake a try, I’d love to know how it turned out — leave a star rating and a comment below!

For more gingerbread recipes you will love:

• Cinnamon Sugar Snowball Cookies
• Gingerbread Snowball Cookies
• Gingerbread Cookies
• Soft Gingerbread Cookies
• Sweet Potato Pie
• Pretzel Bark