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December 18, 2019 Updated September 14, 2020 By Rebecca Desserts

Holiday Gingerbread Cake

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gingerbread poundcake with fresh whipped cream on white plate with more poundcake around it
gingerbread poundcake on white plate with text overlay

Gingerbread is one of the best holiday flavors and scents, step outside the traditional gingerbread cookie box and try the best holiday gingerbread pound cake. Bonus points: it doubles as a delicious holiday gift.

gingerbread poundcake with fresh whipped cream on white plate with more poundcake in background

[This recipe was originally posted in December 2017. It has been updated with new photos, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, video and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

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How will this gingerbread cake recipe make your life better?

This cake recipe is pretty simple and can be done with a hand mixer. It’s packed with gingerbread flavor and is dense and moist.

Double the recipe and freeze some OR make extra loafs to give as special holiday gifts! Or make the homemade gingerbread spice mix in this cake, chocolate dipped oreos or 3 ingredient homemade hot cocoa to give away as holiday gifts.

What makes this gingerbread cake so good?

  • Dark brown sugar
  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Molasses
  • Plain Greek yogurt
  • Whole wheat flour
  • All purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Gingerbread spice mix

How do I make this gingerbread cake?

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream 2 sticks room temperature butter and 3/4 c dark brown sugar in large glass bowl for about 3 minutes using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer.

creamed brown sugar and butter in a glass bowl with hand mixer

Expert Tip: Leave butter and eggs out at room temperature for at least an hour (or more if butter was in the freezer). Cake texture will be better with room temperature butter instead of cold or melted butter.

Expert Tip: Butter and sugar will be creamed when sugar granules are small and mixture is creamy and lighter in color than the brown sugar.

Crack one egg into butter/sugar mixture. Beat until well combined, then add next egg. Repeat until all 4 eggs are combined into mixture.

eggs in creamed sugar and butter in a glass mixing bowl

Expert Tip: Mixture may be a bit chunky, that’s fine. 

Add 1/4 c molasses, 1/4 c plain Greek yogurt to mixture. Beat until incorporated.

wet ingredients for gingerbread pound cake in a glass bowl

Mix dry ingredients in separate medium sized bowl (1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 2 T gingerbread spice mix). Slowly pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients, while continuing to mix. 

dry ingredients in glass bowl for gingerbread pound cake

Expert Tip: Find the gingerbread spice mix recipe here (2 T ground ginger, 2 T ground cinnamon, 1 T ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground allspice)

Grease a loaf pan, pour cake batter into loaf pan, then tap pan against the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake for 50-60 minutes. 

gingerbread pound cake in loaf pan

When the timer rings, pull pan out of the oven and slide, and then remove a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick is clean after removing it, the cake is done, if cake batter is on toothpick, return to oven and bake another couple minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean.

Expert Tip: Check with a toothpick every 3-5 minutes until it comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven and flip cake mold on top of a cooling rack. Slice cake when it’s cooled and top with fresh whipped cream and orange zest.

Expert Tips

  • DO AT LEAST AN HOUR EARLY: Leave butter and eggs out at room temperature for at least an hour (or more if butter was in the freezer). Cake texture will be better with room temperature butter instead of cold or melted butter.
  • Find the gingerbread spice mix recipe here (2 T ground ginger, 2 T ground cinnamon, 1 T ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground allspice)    
  • Butter and sugar will be creamed when sugar granules are small and mixture is creamy and lighter in color than the brown sugar.
  • Check with a toothpick every 3-5 minutes until it comes out clean.

FAQ

What flavor is gingerbread?

I’d describe gingerbread as spiced ginger. Gingerbread can sometimes taste spicy because of the ginger; but the warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice add holiday flavors to it.

How do I make a moist cake?

Creaming the butter and sugar will help make a fluffy delicious cake, and the addition of Greek yogurt makes it extra moist!

What is the difference between a poundcake and regular cake?

A poundcake was traditionally called a poundcake because it had a pound of butter, sugar, eggs, & flour. This one doesn’t but it’s got a nice rich buttery flavor and is denser than traditional cakes.

Cut slice of gingerbread pound cake with whipped cream and orange rind with cake in background

How can I repurpose this gingerbread cake?

  • Make bread pudding out of leftover cake
  • Make french toast out of slices of the cake

What can I make with leftover ingredients?

Most ingredients in this cake are great pantry staples, so keep them around for the next time you bake something

  • (Greek yogurt) Make Overnight Oats, PB Overnight Oats, or a Yogurt Bowl, or Frozen Greek Yogurt with Tart Cherry Sauce
  • (eggs) Freezer Breakfast Tacos, Egg & Veggie Roll-Up, or Apple & Sharp Cheddar Omelet

Did you make this gingerbread cake recipe? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!

Cut slice of gingerbread pound cake with whipped cream and orange rind with cake in background
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Gingerbread Pound Cake

Gingerbread is one of the best holiday flavors and scents, step outside the traditional gingerbread cookie box and try the best holiday gingerbread pound cake. Bonus points: it doubles as a delicious holiday gift.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 1 loaf
Author Rebecca

Equipment

  • Measuring Spoons
  • Measuring Cups
  • rubber spatula
  • Loaf Pan
  • Hand mixer
  • Two Large Mixing Bowls
  • Cooling Rack

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
  • 4 extra large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons gingerbread spice mix see notes

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream 2 sticks room temperature butter and 3/4 c dark brown sugar in large glass bowl for about 3 minutes using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer.
  • Crack one egg into butter/sugar mixture. Beat until well combined, then add next egg. Repeat until all 4 eggs are combined into mixture.
  • Add 1/4 c molasses, 1/4 c plain Greek yogurt to mixture. Beat until incorporated.
  • Mix dry ingredients in separate medium sized bowl (1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 2 T gingerbread spice mix). Slowly pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients, while continuing to mix. 
  • Grease a loaf pan, pour cake batter into loaf pan, then tap pan against the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake for 50-60 minutes. 
  • When the timer rings, pull pan out of the oven and slide, and then remove a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick is clean after removing it, the cake is done, if cake batter is on toothpick, return to oven and bake another couple minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove cake from oven and flip cake mold on top of a cooling rack. Slice cake when it's cooled and top with fresh whipped cream and orange zest.

Video

Gingerbread Pound Cake

Notes

  • DO AT LEAST AN HOUR EARLY: Leave butter and eggs out at room temperature for at least an hour (or more if butter was in the freezer). Cake texture will be better with room temperature butter instead of cold or melted butter.
  • Find the gingerbread spice mix recipe here (2 T ground ginger, 2 T ground cinnamon, 1 T ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground allspice)    
  • Butter and sugar will be creamed when sugar granules are small and mixture is creamy and lighter in color than the brown sugar.
  • Mixture may be a bit chunky, that’s fine. 
  • Check with a toothpick every 3-5 minutes until it comes out clean.
  • Top with fresh whipped cream and orange zest or powdered sugar

Want to get more single serving recipes delivered to your inbox? Click here to download my Single Serving Cookbook.

Categories: Desserts

About Rebecca

Welcome! Iโ€™m Rebecca, a food loving dietitian. On Nourish Nutrition, youโ€™ll find real, quick, and nourishing recipes for one that'll get you to want to cook for yourself, because you deserve it.

Previous Post: « Italian Sausage Tortellini
Next Post: Chocolate Dipped Oreos »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Deanna Segrave-Daly says

    December 21, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    You are speaking my language with this recipe #GingerbreadLove

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      January 2, 2018 at 12:58 pm

      haha! right?! gingerbread is just the best ever

      Reply
  2. Meredith says

    December 21, 2017 at 10:07 pm

    We just spent the evening making our annual gingerbread house! I will definitely have to keep up the gingerbread themed treats with this delicious looking gingerbread. Love that you used greek yogurt in it! Pinning to try *very* soon!!!

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      January 2, 2018 at 12:57 pm

      oh how fun! yes, gingerbread season is in full swing, hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  3. Farrah says

    December 24, 2017 at 2:55 pm

    I haven’t ever tried making pound cake, but this looks absolutely amazing! *-*

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      January 2, 2018 at 12:55 pm

      oh it’s so good & really easy! And I think this was actually the first pound cake I’ve made too! eek

      Reply
  4. Catherine says

    December 31, 2017 at 4:14 am

    5 stars
    Wow this is a delicious recipe! My son would love this. I will try to make for him!

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      January 2, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      yes! try it & let me know how it goes ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  5. Lana says

    December 23, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    I don’t have whole wheat flour….what can I use as a substitute….bread flour?

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      December 24, 2020 at 11:18 am

      Hi Lana, great question. I haven’t tried it with bread flour, but I would assume it would turn out similarly. You can also substitute it for all purpose. Let me know what you try & how it turns out! I’d love to hear

      Reply

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