This Vegan Chocolate Gingerbread Cake has an amazing flavor profile. Ginger, candied ginger, dark chocolate add a pleasing bitter combination with gingerbread spices. 1 Bowl. Vegan Soyfree Nutfree Recipe GF option Jump to Recipe
Ginger and Chocolate in baked goods work very well together in the cold season. The craving for spice and chocolate gets satisfied with every bite! Warm gooey chocolate, loads of ginger and gingerbread spices.
This loaf has cocoa, fresh ginger and gingerbread spices in the wet and candied ginger and chopped up dark or regular chocolate in the dry. It bakes into a slightly dense pound cake like loaf that is best served warm. If storing for longer, warm before serving so that the chocolate can melt a bit and get gooey and delicious. Its almost like a gingerbread brownie! Serve as a snack or top with whipped coconut cream or a chocolate frosting for dessert.
More Holiday Bakes
- Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Pumpkin Frosting. GF option
- Cinnamon Swirl Cake
- Eggnog Pound Cake
- Easy Coffee Cake – Cinnamon Streusel Cake GF option
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- Applesaue spice cake GF option
Gluten-free
- GF Cashew Butter Chocolate Marble Cake.
- Gluten-free Cinnamon Roll Bread yeast-free.
- GF Carrot Banana Bread – Also grain-free.
- Sweet Potato Crumb Cake. GF
Vegan Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients
Wet:
- 1/2 cup (124.44 ml) + 1 tbsp non dairy milk , boiling hot
- 1/4 cup (21.5 g) cocoa
- 1/4 cup (61 g) applesauce
- 3 tbsp oil or use more non dairy milk
- 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup (73.33 g) brown sugar or cane sugar + 1 tbsp molasses (1/3 cup if using semi sweet chocolate)
- 2 tsp minced fresh ginger optional
Dry:
- 1.25 to 1.5 cups (156.25 g) flour (I use a mix of all purpose and whole wheat)
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp gingerbread spice ,less or more to preference (or 3/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, dashed of ground cloves, nutmeg)
- 1/4 cup (45 g) chopped vegan chocolate , dark or semi sweet or a mix
- 1/3 cup (46.67 g) chopped candied ginger
- 2 tbsp mini chocolate chips for topping optional
Instructions
- Grease or line a loaf pan with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F (180 C).
- In a bowl, mix the hot non dairy milk and cocoa until combined. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Add 1 cup flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the wet. Mix the dry ingredients lightly before combining into the wet. (Or alternatively, mix in another bowl and then add to the wet)
- Add the chocolate, candied ginger and 1/4 cup flour and mix in to make a muffin like batter. Add more flour if too flowy. This batter is good to bake into muffins, mini loafs or cake pan. If baking a large loaf, add a few tbsp more flour until the batter is stiff, and then drop into prepared loaf pan. Use a clean spoon or spatula to even it out.
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake for 45 mins. Check with a toothpick from the middle. (muffin 22 min, shallow cake pan 35 mins)
- Cool for 10 mins then remove from pan. Cool to room temp before slicing. Serve warm (warm to melt the chocolate if already cooled) as a snack or top with whipped coconut cream or a chocolate frosting for dessert.
Peni says
December 26, 2018 at 6:11 pmYummy! I was a little nervous about all the candied ginger – but it was great. Also, the smell of the vinegar in the batter was a little off putting – but no issues when baked. Next time I might add a pinch of salt. Thanks Richa.
Richa says
December 26, 2018 at 7:04 pmawesome! yes the small amount of vinegar bakes out so there isnt any flavor left. i forgot to add salt to the ingredients, but there shouldbe 1/4tsp
Nina says
December 27, 2018 at 1:09 amFabulous recipe,!! We dislike candied ginger any ideas of a sub? But we like gingerbread. Could I just omit e candied ginger? Don’t think I would add more chocolate chips as it would increase the saturated fat content – thanks
Richa says
December 27, 2018 at 10:13 amyes just omit it. add some more ground ginger if you like
Susan says
December 27, 2018 at 2:45 amCan’t wait to try this! Love ginger! Make your chocolate ginger cookies regularly.😋
Patricia says
January 2, 2019 at 9:04 amThis looks lovely but I’d also like to make just a ginger cake without the chocolate. Any ideas for subbing the cocoa? Thank you:-)
Richa says
January 2, 2019 at 11:32 amtheres one on the blog already 🙂 https://www.veganricha.com/2014/11/vegan-gingerbread-cake.html
Cassie Autumn Tran says
January 23, 2019 at 7:51 pmIs this actually what heaven looks like in the form of a cake? Because I think I am peering at it right now from my computer. 😉 But in all seriousness, this chocolate gingerbread cake looks TO DIE FOR. I regret not recreating it for Christmas! Definitely will have to do so ASAP to make up for lost times!
Caterina B says
February 6, 2019 at 12:12 pmWhat is the function of the applesauce? I don’t have any in the house and it’s only 1/3 cup so could I leave it out or use vegan “butter” instead? Maybe use mashed banana? It’s such a small quantity that I don’t think it will taste like banana after baking.
Richa says
February 6, 2019 at 3:17 pmyes use mashed banana or pumpkin or a fruit puree. its for added moisture. you can also use half mashed banana andhalf oil/butter
Snigdha says
March 30, 2019 at 4:21 pmHi Richa, love the sound of this bread. A question though, will the applesauce add apple-y flavour to the bread? Similarly will the mashed banana add banana type flavour? I’m thinking tahini? Which of these or another sub will be flavourless when added the recipe.
Thanks a lot.
jinx watson says
July 13, 2019 at 12:08 pmI am a cake lover. This is the best of all the vegan cakes I’ve made in 9 years. It is moist, full of in-depth flavors, full of textures with the ginger and chocolate chips, and best of all, it feels light! Most vegan cakes come across as dense. I doubled the recipe and made it in a 13″ by 9″ pan. Thank you for the recipe! I’m making it again this week for a party!
Richa says
July 13, 2019 at 2:35 pmawesome!
Vesna says
December 5, 2019 at 3:50 pmThis cake is so good. Chocolaty, a bit spicy (I added a lot of fresh, grated ginger), and absolutely delicious. I used buckwheat flour and baked it in a cake pan and it turned out great. Already ate a third of it 😋 will be baking this many times this winter. Thank you.
Richa says
December 5, 2019 at 7:58 pmAwesome!
Ronda says
December 6, 2019 at 10:57 amWould Bobs Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free work?
Richa says
December 6, 2019 at 5:42 pmdirect sub will not work
Silvia says
December 10, 2019 at 9:01 pmLOVED THIS! Super easy and delicious to make. Thank you for making vegan baking so easy to do by using ordinary ingredients!
Richa says
December 10, 2019 at 9:36 pmawesome!
Carole says
December 15, 2019 at 2:05 pmLoved this recipe!!
Made it this evening using plain wholemeal flour which turned out great!
Had it with vegan vanilla custard.
A wonderful combination of ginger and chocolate….seriously delicious!!
Richa says
December 15, 2019 at 7:10 pmyum
Keren says
April 3, 2020 at 11:43 pmWondwerfully rich and delicious and perfect texture. Thanks, richa.
Ramya says
December 15, 2019 at 7:10 pmWhat are the measurements to make this in a bundt pan?
Richa says
December 15, 2019 at 7:38 pmi havent made this in a bundt. it depends on the size of the pan. you might need double the batter or same amount depending onthe size
Ramya says
December 16, 2019 at 7:59 amIt is a 10 inch bundt pan.
Sarah says
December 17, 2019 at 12:03 pmsoooo good! my place smells amazing! can’t wait to share this with friends 🙂 thank you!
Richa says
December 17, 2019 at 12:36 pmawesome!
Amy Bosnoian says
October 29, 2020 at 6:49 pmHello!!
Do you know where to buy candied ginger? Also, in case I cannot find it, how much ground ginger would be a good substitute?
Richa says
October 29, 2020 at 10:09 pmIt’s available in regular stores. You can omit it. Add some dried fruit such as dates instead and add 1/4 tsp more ground ginger
Rubina says
December 12, 2020 at 10:15 pmCan I use something else instead of apple sauce?
Richa says
December 13, 2020 at 12:48 amNondairy yogurt, or cashew cream or coconut cream
Rubina says
December 15, 2020 at 2:07 pmAnother question – can’t find candied ginger anywhere 🙁 what can I use? What is candies ginger?
Richa says
December 15, 2020 at 11:32 pmOmit it. It’s ginger that is cooked in sugar syrup and gets dry and chewh
Jessica says
December 20, 2020 at 10:19 amIf you aren’t using premade gingerbread spice are you supposed to use the full amounts of the ingredients you listed as an alternative or do you mix those together and take 1.5 tsp? I used the full amounts and it was way too much ginger flavor so I’m thinking I may have read it wrong. It tasted like ginger bread instead of gingerbread lol!