Gingerbread Crazy Cake
This Gingerbread Crazy Cake is a moist, lightly spiced pantry cake made without eggs, milk, butter, or a mixer. It is dairy free, egg free, and vegan.
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Servings: 9 slices
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 cup water
Optional Toppings
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla frosting or buttercream frosting
- Whipped cream
- Caramel sauce
- Lemon sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the water and unsulphured molasses.
- Stir until the molasses is fully dissolved and evenly blended into the water. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.
- Whisk or stir the dry ingredients until evenly combined.
- Make 3 depressions in the dry ingredient mixture: 2 small depressions and 1 larger depression.
- Add the vanilla extract to one small depression.
- Add the apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to the second small depression.
- Add the canola oil or vegetable oil to the larger depression.
- Pour the prepared water and molasses mixture evenly over the dry ingredients and wet ingredients.
- Stir gently until the batter is smooth and fully combined.
- Do not overmix the batter, as excessive mixing may affect the texture of the cake.
- Pour the batter into the prepared 8x8-inch baking dish.
- Spread the batter evenly in the dish with a spatula, if needed.
- Place the baking dish on the middle rack of the oven.
- Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- If wet batter remains on the toothpick, continue baking for a few additional minutes and check again.
- Remove the cake from the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan before slicing and serving.
- Serve plain, or finish with powdered sugar, frosting, whipped cream, caramel sauce, lemon sauce, or another preferred topping.
Notes
To make this Gingerbread Crazy Cake gluten free, replace the all-purpose flour with a certified gluten-free 1:1 baking flour blend.
Choose a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, or add xanthan gum according to the flour brand’s instructions if needed.
Confirm that the baking powder, baking soda, spices, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, molasses, and optional toppings are labeled gluten free.
Use clean measuring cups, mixing bowls, utensils, and baking dishes to prevent cross-contamination with wheat flour.
Gluten-free cakes may bake slightly faster or have a more delicate crumb, so begin checking the cake a few minutes before the full baking time.