Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze Recipe
This Gingerbread Bundt Cake is a moist, warmly spiced treat perfect for holiday celebrations or cozy gatherings. Infused with molasses and traditional spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, it is topped with a sweet maple glaze that adds a delightful finishing touch. Easy to prepare and baked in a bundt pan, this cake offers a perfect balance of rich flavors and tender crumb.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2¾ cups (330 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves or nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon all spice or nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) neutral baking oil or melted butter
- 1½ cups (300 g) light or dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup (180 ml) unsulphured molasses
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
Glaze
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 – 2 tablespoons (15 – 30 ml) milk, as needed
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously grease a 10-inch bundt pan with a 12-cup capacity to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves or nutmeg, all spice, and salt until well combined. This ensures the spices and leaveners are evenly distributed.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the neutral baking oil (or melted butter), brown sugar, eggs, molasses, and vanilla extract together until the mixture is smooth and well combined, forming the cake’s flavorful base.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture and buttermilk to the wet mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients (dry, buttermilk, dry, buttermilk, dry). Stir just until combined to avoid overmixing, which keeps the cake tender.
- Pour Batter into Pan: Evenly pour the gingerbread cake batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top with a spatula if needed.
- Bake: Place the bundt pan in the preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, and the edges of the cake pull slightly away from the pan.
- Cool: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, invert the cake onto a cooling rack or serving plate and let it cool completely to room temperature before glazing.
- Prepare Glaze: In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk (add 1 tablespoon first and then more if needed for consistency), and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined to create a pourable glaze.
- Glaze the Cake: Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled gingerbread bundt cake, allowing it to set fully for about 45 minutes before slicing.
- Serve and Enjoy: Slice the cake and serve. The warm spices paired with the sweet, maple glaze make for an inviting dessert perfect for any occasion.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk for better batter mixing and cake texture.
- If you prefer, substitute the neutral baking oil with melted butter for a richer flavor.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter once adding dry and wet ingredients to keep the cake moist and tender.
- Molasses is key for the classic gingerbread flavor; do not substitute unless necessary.
- Adjust the glaze thickness with milk; add little by little to reach desired consistency for drizzling.
- Leftover cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
