It's Christmas time so that means all things Gingerbread! This gingerbread bundt cake is super moist and fluffy, not overly sweet, is perfectly spiced, and is topped with a cinnamon sugar coating. I feel like bundt cakes are almost like breakfast, so you can definitely snack on this bundt cake Christmas morning. I FOR SURE will be.
Components of a gingerbread bundt cake
- The cake. This cake is *mwah* chef's kiss in both taste and texture. It is perfectly spiced with warm ingredients like molasses, ginger, cinnamon, etc., and it has a moist and fluffy texture.
- The cinnamon sugar coating. Bundt cakes can be topped with different things, and at first I was going to go with a frosting, but nothing beats classic cinnamon sugar. The bundt cake is coated with melted butter and then topped with the cinnamon sugar, which almost adds a crunch to the cake. It is SO good.
Key ingredients
- All purpose flour: all purpose flour is the key to a fluffy and moist cake! This is where a kitchen scale is most important, but if you don't have one, make sure to properly measure your flour using the spoon and level method.
- Leavener: we use baking powder and baking soda in this recipe.
- Spices: a combination of warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg perfectly spice this gingerbread cake!
- Fats: the fats in this recipe are the unsalted butter, vegetable oil, and whole milk. All of these ingredients add moisture to the bundt cake.
- Sugars: the sugars are granulated sugar and molasses. Both add sweetness and chewiness to the cake. Molasses also adds to that classic gingerbread flavor we all know and love.
- Eggs: eggs add moisture and bind the ingredients together.
- Amoretti gingerbread compound: this is optional but absolutely recommended - it adds so much flavor to the cake!
Steps
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Mix together the melted butter and oil. Stream in the granulated sugar and mix. Stream in the molasses and mix. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Then add the vanilla extract and gingerbread compound and mix.
- Combine. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low while slowly streaming in half of the milk until almost fully incorporated. Stop to scrape down the bottoms and sides of the bowl. Repeat this with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, checking for doneness at 45 minutes as all ovens differ.
- Let the cake cool. Let the bundt cake cool in the pan for no longer than 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely.
- Coat with cinnamon sugar. Once completely cool, brush melted butter all over the bundt cake, then sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. Slice & enjoy!
FAQ
Why is my cake dry?
A cake can be dry from over measuring the flour. The best way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale - it is the most accurate. If you don't have a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife.
Over baking can also result in a dry cake. Just a few extra minutes in the oven can turn a soft and moist cake into a tough and dry one, so make sure to keep an eye on it. It is finished when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Why did my cake sink?
Cakes can sink for a number of reasons. First, is over mixing the batter. Make sure to only mix your batter until the dry ingredients are JUST incorporated, not any longer. Second, an underbaked cake can sink, so make sure to bake the cake all the way through. Finally, poor air circulation in your oven/opening and closing the door too quickly can cause your cake to deflate. If you have poor air circulation, make sure to rotate your bundt pan half way through baking, and don't open/close the door to fast. This will blow all of the hot air out of the oven.
Why is my cake dense?
A dense cake is likely from too much liquid. I highly suggest using a kitchen scale to measure our your ingredients - it is the most accurate and will serve better results. Using volume measurements is not ideal because my 1 cup measuring cup can be different from your 1 cup measuring cup.
Can I make this cake gluten free?
I haven't tried it, but Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour is always a good alternative! If you try a gluten free flour blend, please let me know how it turns out in the comments!
How do I store this cake?
Any cake exposed to air will become dry pretty quickly, so make sure to store it in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for 3-4 days, but it is best enjoyed fresh (or even slightly warm!).
Baking in grams
While I provide volume measurements for the recipes on my blog, I highly suggest baking these recipes using weight. It is the most standardized and accurate way to bake. I carefully recipe test all of my recipes using a kitchen scale, not by using cups, and therefore I cannot guarantee the success of my recipes when using volume measurements.
Other recipes you may like
- Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies (Two Ways!)
- Peppermint Bark Brownies
- Peppermint Shortbread Cookies
- Chewy Cut Out Gingerbread Cookies
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Gingerbread Bundt Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For Coating the Bundt Pan
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- granulated sugar
Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Amoretti gingerbread compound optional
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and generously grease a 12 cup bundt pan by spreading 1 tablespoon of melted butter all over the inside of the pan with a pastry brush, then coating it with granulated sugar.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, mix the melted butter and oil together on medium-high speed until combined. With the mixer on low, stream in the granulated sugar and mix until combined.
- With the mixer on low, stream in the molasses then beat on medium speed until combined and the ingredients have completely emulsified. It will almost look like a thick paste. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well in between each addition, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla extract and gingerbread compound (if using) and mix on low-medium speed until combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixture and mix on low while slowly streaming in half of the milk until almost fully incorporated. Stop mixing to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Repeat this with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk, and scrape down the bowl again if necessary.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes (all ovens differ - so begin checking it at 45 minutes) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for no more than 10 minutes before turning out the cake onto a cooling rack.
- While the bundt cake is cooling, make the cinnamon sugar coating by mixing together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.
- Once the bundt cake is completely cool, coat the bundt cake with the melted butter using a pastry brush, then top with the cinnamon sugar. Slice and enjoy!
- Keep in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!
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