Description
This Vegan Gingerbread Cake is a festive, moist, and richly spiced dessert perfect for holiday celebrations. Made without any animal products, it features a tender sponge infused with warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, layered and frosted with creamy dairy-free buttercream and decorated with gingerbread biscuits and Biscoff spread. It’s a delightful vegan take on a classic gingerbread treat that’s sure to impress both vegans and non-vegans alike.
Ingredients
Scale
Sponge Ingredients
- 480ml dairy-free milk (soya milk works best)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 420g self-raising flour
- 300g caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 120ml sunflower oil
- 1/2 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
Buttercream Ingredients
- 530g dairy-free butter (Flora block butter recommended)
- 500g icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Dairy-free milk (optional, for consistency)
- 4 heaped tablespoons Biscoff spread / cookie butter (melted)
- Ginger biscuits (for crumbling inside cake layers and decorating)
- Cocoa powder (for coloring buttercream to pipe gingerbread men)
Instructions
- Prepare Vegan Buttermilk: In a bowl, combine dairy-free milk with apple cider vinegar and whisk. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle, creating vegan ‘buttermilk’.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together self-raising flour, caster sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Stir well to combine.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Add sunflower oil and blackstrap molasses to the vegan buttermilk and whisk together until smooth.
- Make Batter: Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
- Prepare Cake Tins and Divide Batter: Preheat oven to 180°C fan. Line three 8-inch loose base cake tins with greaseproof paper. Divide batter equally among tins, tapping each on the surface to remove air bubbles. If fewer tins are available, bake in batches, covering unused batter with a damp towel.
- Bake the Cakes: Place tins in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a skewer or knife; it should come out clean. Cakes should feel springy to the touch.
- Cool Cakes: Remove cakes from oven, cool in tins for a short while, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container until frosting.
- Make Buttercream: Using a mixer, whip dairy-free butter until creamy. Sift in icing sugar, ground ginger, and cinnamon; whip on high speed for 5 minutes to create a light, airy frosting. Add dairy-free milk or more butter/icing sugar to adjust consistency as needed.
- Prepare Piping Bags: Spoon 2 tablespoons of white buttercream into a piping bag and snip the tip for detailed decoration. Transfer a quarter of the remaining buttercream into a separate bowl; gradually mix in cocoa powder until a light brown gingerbread color is achieved. Fill another piping bag fitted with a medium round tip with the cocoa buttercream.
- Assemble Cake Layers: Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread an even layer of white buttercream on top. Optionally make a well in the buttercream center and fill with 2 tablespoons of Biscoff spread and crushed gingerbread biscuits.
- Stack Remaining Layers: Add the second cake layer and gently press. Repeat with the third layer. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream all over the cake and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to firm up.
- Finalize Frosting and Decorate: Remove cake from fridge and apply a thicker final layer of white buttercream, smoothing edges with a cake scraper. Pipe swirls of white buttercream along the top edge using a star tip. Use the brown buttercream to pipe gingerbread men shapes around the cake sides and add details with white icing. Crumble ginger biscuits over the top for garnish.
- Serve: Slice and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Before serving, bring to room temperature for 15 minutes.
Notes
- Store the decorated cake in a sealed container in the fridge and consume within 3 days for best taste and freshness.
- Leave the refrigerated cake at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving to enhance flavor and texture.
- Un-iced cakes can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- If you only have one or two cake tins, bake the layers separately, keeping unused batter covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.
- Adjust the buttercream consistency by adding dairy-free milk to loosen or more icing sugar to thicken as needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12 of the cake)
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
