This Gingerbread Bundt Cake, topped with a rich rum glaze, is the ultimate holiday treat! Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s filled with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and allspice, making it the perfect Christmas bundt cake to impress your guests.
Why You Will Love this Gingerbread Bundt Cake
This gingerbread bundt cake is a holiday favorite in my kitchen—quick to prep, full of warm spices, and finished with a rich rum (or maple) glaze. It looks impressive, but it’s easy enough for any skill level and fills your home with that classic, comforting holiday aroma.
I’ve tested this recipe to make sure the spices are perfectly balanced—bold but not overpowering—and the texture stays soft and moist for days. It’s great for make-ahead baking, perfect for parties, quiet nights by the fire, or even wrapped up as a sweet gift for friends and neighbors.
Simple, festive, and full of flavor—this cake is everything I love about holiday baking.
What does a Gingerbread Cake taste like?
Gingerbread cake is full of holiday flavor—rich molasses, warm spices like ginger and cinnamon, and just the right amount of sweetness. It’s a little spicy, a little sweet, and way more festive than your everyday cake.
The texture is soft, moist, and slightly dense in the best way—each bite practically melts in your mouth. A drizzle of rum, maple, or vanilla glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness to make it feel extra special. Whether you’re serving it up at a party or gifting it to a friend, this cake brings all the holiday magic. I’m thinking if you like this cake, you’ll also like this Mary Washington’s 1784 Gingerbread Cake.
Gingerbread Bundt Cake Ingredients
- Flour: I use organic unbleached flour for baking, but your go-to all-purpose flour works, too.
- Leavening agents: Help the cake rise with baking soda and powder.
- Salt: A little kosher salt brings out the flavors in this recipe.
- Gingerbread Spices: Bring warm fall flavors with ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg and ground allspice.
- Butter:Use salted or unsalted butter room-temperature butter. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt if using unsalted.
- Sugar: I used light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar is also delicious.
- Eggs: I use large eggs in my baking, always at room temperature.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract is a must in baked goods. I like to use my homemade bourbon vanilla when it makes sense, and this gingerbread treat is the perfect opportunity!
- Molasses: Use dark molasses to complete the gingerbread taste, I used Grandma’s unsulphered molasses.
- Sour cream: Use sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, if preferred.
- Milk: I prefer whole milk as that is what I usually have on hand, feel free to use less percentages.
- Powdered Sugar & Rum Extract for the glaze.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
What kind of molasses should I use for Gingerbread?
There are two types of molasses, regular and blackstrap molasses; the typical molasses you find in grocery stores is regular molasses, which is what I used in this gingerbread cake recipe. Avoid using blackstrap molasses, as it is significantly more bitter than unsulphured molasses.
How should I top my Gingerbread Cake
- Rum Glaze: This easy glaze has three basic ingredients – powdered sugar, milk or heavy cream, and rum extract. I also like to add cinnamon for a delicious cinnamon rum glaze! But you won’t get that winter white finish!
- Make this vanilla buttercream glaze and up to 3 teaspoons of real maple syrup for a maple glaze!
- Decoration: Surround the bundt cake with sugared cranberries and fresh sprigs of rosemary.
Recommended Tools
- Invest in a high-quality bundt pan, my favorites are these Nordic ware bundt pans.
- My favorite easy cake-release spray!
- Measure your molasses easily with this adjust-a-cup.
How to Make The Best Gingerbread Bundt Cake
Step 1 | Preheat and prep
Begin by preheating the oven to 350° F (175° C) and grease a 10 to 12-cup bundt pan with soft butter using a pastry brush to get into all the cracks and crevices, then dust with flour. Or use a cake release spray, it will allow your bundt cakes to release beautifully every time.
Fresh Tip: Use my favorite cake release spray instead of greasing the pan with butter and dusting with flour! I like La Tourangelle for all of my gluten-free cakes and Bak-Klene for my regular cakes
Step 2 | Blend dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk to mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and allspice in a medium bowl and set aside.
Step 3 | Mix wet ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a large bowl with a good hand mixer), mix together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until they are light and creamy, taking about 2-4 minutes. This process is called creaming the butter and sugar.
One at a time, add the eggs, beating for 30 seconds per egg. Then, mix the vanilla and molasses until all ingredients are well combined.
Step 4 | Combine all ingredients and bake
Add half the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture with the mixer on low speed, then add the sour cream and milk. Pour the remaining flour mixture in ¼ cup at a time and mix until the batter is evenly combined. But do not overmix.
Next, pour batter into the prepared bundt pan; gently tap the bundt pan on a sturdy surface (I use our cutting board) 2-4 times, to eliminate any pockets.
Bake in preheated oven 45 to 55 minutes, until a wooden skewer or cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Once baked, let the cake cool on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping it upside down and allowing it to finish cooling completely on the rack.
Fresh Tip: If your cake sticks or won’t easily release, use a butter knife to gently work the edges away from the sides of the pan. If that still doesn’t work, you may have cooled it too long; return a 350° F oven for 5 minutes, then invert immediately onto a cooling rack to release the cake.
Make the Easy Rum Glaze
Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and rum extract in a mixing bowl until smooth and pourable when the gingerbread bundt cake is cooled. If desired, add a bit of ground cinnamon to the glaze. Add a little more milk or cream until the desired consistency is achieved.
Add glaze and toppings to the cake and serve!
Finally, pour the glaze over the cooled bundt cake and allow it to drip down the sides. Decorate with sugared cranberries and rosemary, if you’d like, then slice and serve!
Fresh Tips
- Be careful not to overfill your bundt pan. The batter should fill ⅔ – ¾ of the pan. Place a baking sheet under the pan on the lower rack to catch any possible overflow.
- Make sure your oven runs at the correct temperature; many ovens are 25° +/- the best way to allow it to preheat for 30 minutes and use an oven thermometer to verify the temperature.
High Altitude Adjustments for Gingerbread Cake
To make this recipe ideal for high-altitude baking, you only need to follow these simple adjustments:
- Add two more tablespoons of flour
- Reduce baking powder to ½ teaspoon.
- Use only ¾ cup of brown sugar
- Increase the oven temperature to 375° F (190° C) and bake the recipe for 45 to 60 minutes, checking at 45 minutes for doneness to prevent overbaking.
Bundt cakes are some of my favorite recipes to bring out when the holiday season starts. While they are enjoyable throughout the year, they make me think of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other end-of-the-year celebrations.
Check out more bundt cake recipes, like this Easy Old-Fashioned Butter Pound Bundt Cake, sweet and fruity White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake, and my irresistible Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake!
Variations & Substitutions
Mini Gingerbread Bundt Cakes
Mini gingerbread bundt cakes, bundtlets, or bundtlettes or just plain gingerbread cupcakes – Whatever you call them, they are adorable, convenient, and delish! All you need to do is add the cake batter to a mini bundt cake pan or a cupcake pan, filling each to about ⅔-¾ full.
For the bundlette and quartet pan, bake the treats for about 20 to 25 minutes; for the cupcake pan, bake the treats for 18 to 22 minutes. Then, cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack, invert onto a cooling rack, cool completely, glaze, and serve!
They make excellent holiday gifts! Be sure to download my free Gifts from the Kitchen gift tags.
Sheet Pan Gingerbread Cake Recipe
You can also use a baking pan to make this recipe. A 9×13-inch pan works best. Brush the pan with butter or baking spray, then evenly spread the batter. Bake as directed and check the cake at about 25 minutes. When finished, cool, then glaze, or frost with cream cheese icing.
More Gingerbread Cake Pan Conversions
A bundt pan holds about 10-12 cups. Therefore, this recipe easily converts to other shapes and sizes of pans. Keep the temperature the same, but keep a close eye on the progress to prevent overbaking.
- Loaf Pan – Typical loaf pans are around 9x4x3 inches, holding 6-8 cups of batter. So, this recipe should fill two loaf pans or one regular loaf pan and one or two mini loaf pans. Bake regular loaf pans for about 55 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
- Round Cake Pans – This bundt cake recipe fills 2 standard 8×2 inch round cake pans, bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Square Pans – The recipe fills 2 8×8 inch square pans, bake for 20-25 minutes, cake should spring back lightly when touched and the toothpick insterted should come out clean.
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Dessert
Replace the recommended flour with a trusted gluten-free cup-for-cup alternative and double-check your ingredients.
Can I make this gingerbread cake in a loaf pan?
Absolutely! Make recipe as directed, or reduce the recipe by half (use the slider on the recipe card).
This recipe will make approximately 2 regular-sized Gingerbread loaves. Loaf pans vary in capacity from about 6-8 cups, do not fill more then ⅔ full. Butter or spray well your loaf pan (or line with these nifty loaf pan parchments) and watch your time. Your gingerbread loaf will probably be done about 40-45 minutes.
Substitutions & Variations
- Flour: You can often substitute all-purpose flour with light whole wheat flour or a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar can be swapped with alternatives like coconut sugar, or cup-for-cup sugar substitutes such as monk fruit for a slightly different flavor profile.
- Eggs: If you’re looking for an egg-free option, consider using applesauce, mashed banana, yogurt, or commercial egg replacers to maintain moisture and binding. They I have not tried any of these!
- Butter: You can use vegetable oil or coconut oil instead of butter for a different richness and flavor.
- Sour Cream: Replace the sour cream with healthier plain whole Greek yogurt.
- Glaze: Use vanilla, almond, caramel, or bourbon vanilla extract to make the simple glaze recipe slightly different. Pure maple syrup or extract makes a tasty maple glaze for the gingerbread cake! Try my easy buttercream vanilla glaze or this cream cheese frosting.
Recommended Tools
- Bundt cake keeper, I use mine all the time!
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! Replace a little of the milk or cream of the glaze with a tablespoon of dark rum.
Make your dessert look picture-perfect by having a glaze that is easily pourable. If it’s too thick, add more milk or cream in small amounts until it can drizzle off the mixing spoon. You can also gently tap or shift the cake to encourage the glaze to drip down the sides if needed.
If you have a worn and old or low-quality pan, there’s always a chance for the cake to stick and fall apart when removed. Use plenty of cooking spray or butter to grease the pan evenly, I love this spray and this pan!
Gingerbread flavor is all about the warm, cozy blend of molasses and spices. Molasses adds a deep, slightly smoky sweetness, while ginger brings in a gentle spice that defines gingerbread. Cinnamon adds a soft warmth, and a hint of cloves or allspice gives it a touch of aromatic complexity. Sometimes a dash of nutmeg is added for even more holiday depth. Together, these ingredients create the sweet, spicy, and nostalgic flavor we all associate with the holidays.
What’s the difference between blackstrap molasses and regular molasses?
Molasses, which comes from the juice of sugar cane or sugar beets, is boiled down to remove the sugar crystals. The number of times the juice is boiled makes all the difference.
Light or regular molasses is produced after the second boiling. Blackstrap molasses is what comes from a third boiling, and it’s very bitter. You’ll usually see it used in baked beans or barbecue sauce. (Source)
Storage Tips
Store this cake by allowing it to cool completely, then move it to an airtight container. Store it on the counter for 1-3 days and will last in the fridge for about five days. However the fridge will tend to dry the cake out a bit, better to freeze it.
How to Freeze Bundt Cake – Wrap the cooled cake tightly with plastic wrap and then place in an airtight freezer baggie, freeze up to 2-3 months. Even better, slice the cake into individual pieces and wrap well in plastic wrap and then foil, then place in airtight container or baggie. Then thaw a piece or two at a time.
What to Serve with Festive Gingerbread Bundt Cake
Do not fill your bundt pan higher than ⅔ full, if necessary bake up extra batter in cupcake tins and butter and flour your bundt pan or spray with cake release spray.
Best Drinks for Rum-Glazed Gingerbread Bundt Cake
If you’re craving something fruity and refreshing, try sipping on this Spiced Holiday Pomegranate Sangria to complement the warm fall spices of the gingerbread cake or my Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail that pairs beautifully with the sugared cranberries.
Or warm your soul on a chilly fall night with delicious Hot Buttered Rum, White Chocolate Hot Cocoa or a steaming mug of Wassail!
More Easy Holiday Desserts
- Nantucket Cranberry Pie
- White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Eggnog Coffee Cake Recipe + Bundt cake option
- Best Easy Crockpot Peanut Clusters Recipe
- Pfeffernusse Cookies (German Spice Cookies)
- Southern Sweet Potato Pie
- Pizzelles
- Snickerdoodles
More Popular Recipes from The Fresh Cooky
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Equipment
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour add 2 tablespoons for high altitude
- 1 teaspoon baking powder reduce to ¾ teaspoon for high altitude
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg use fresh ground if possible
- ¼ teaspoon ground all-spice
- ½ cup butter room temperature (salted or unsalted, if using unsalted add additional ¼ teaspoon salt)
- 1 cup brown sugar packed light or dark (reduce to ¾ cup for high altitude)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 cup sour cream or plain Whole Greek yogurt
- ½ cup whole milk other % may be used.
Rum Glaze
- ½ cup milk I used whole milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or cream
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional
Instructions
For the Gingerbread CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C) (375° F (190° C) for high altitude). Prepare a 10-12 cup bundt pan by using a pastry brush to cover surface in soft butter, or use my favorite cake release spray (my favorite). Set aside.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and all-spice in a medium mixing bowl with a whisk. Set aside.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground all-spice
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer; beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2-4 minutes.½ cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds per egg. Then add vanilla and molasses. Mix until combined.
- Add half the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Add the sour cream and milk. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until completely combined.1 cup sour cream, ½ cup whole milk
- Pour into the bundt pan* and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick or wooden skewer can be inserted and come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake!
- Let it cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before flipping upside down and allowing the cake to finish cooling completely on a wire rack.
For the rum glaze
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and rum extract until smooth and pourable. If desired, add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to glaze as well. Add a little more milk or cream until desired consistency is achieved. Also try adding maple extract (1 tsp) or maple syrup (up to 3 teaspoons)½ cup milk, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon rum extract, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pour over the bundt cake and allow the glaze to drip down the sides. if desired, you can decorate with sugared cranberries and rosemary. Or try my easy buttercream vanilla glaze, it would also be delicious on this cake!
Notes
- Loaf Pan – Typical loaf pans are around 9x4x3 inches, holding 6-8 cups of batter. So, this recipe should fill two loaf pans or one regular loaf pan and one or two mini loaf pans. Bake regular loaf pans for about 55 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
-
- Round Cake Pans – This bundt cake recipe fills 2 standard 8×2 inch round cake pans, bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Cupcakes or Mini Bundts | Fill well-sprayed mini bundt or cupcake pan ⅔ full, making about 4 quartet mini bundts; 14 mini bundtlettes or 18 cupcakes. Bake for 18-25 minutes
- Sheet Pan Gingerbread Cake | Instead of baking in a bundt pan, prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or baking spray. Spread batter into cake pan and bake at the same temperature, checking at 25-28 minutes. Top should spring back when lightly touched and the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting or glazing. Try my cream cheese frosting like in this Chocolate Chocolate Chip nothing bundt cake.
To make quartet Bundtlettes, prep the pans well just like the regular sized pan. Bake as directed above; 20-25 minutes bundtlets, 18-22 minutes cupcakes. Done when cake springs back when lightly touched and no longer jiggly, don’t over bake. Cool 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack. High Altitude Gingerbread Bundt Cake
This recipe was tested at sea level and high altitude (5280 ft above sea level). Adjustments for high altitude are below:
Increase flour by 2 tablespoons
Decrease baking powder to ½ teaspoon
Decrease brown sugar to ¾ cup
Increase oven temperature to 375° F (190° C) and bake for 45-60 minutes; start checking with a skewer at about 45 minutes. Do not overbake!
Nutrition
Moira I
Step 5 in the cake recipe says to add milk, but the ingredients list for the cake doesn’t include milk. How much milk do I add?
Thank you so much Moira!! It’s ½ a cup of whole milk — I added it to the recipe card, thank you so much for catching that!
Guy Maki
I made this cake tonight. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t as moist as I expected considering sour cream was used in the recipe, and I know I didn’t overbake it. The cake had a very mild gingerbread flavor and was not too sweet. I might increase the ginger next time. It is a good cake, and easy to make. I wouldn’t hesitate to make it again. I just might “tweak” it a bit.
Sorry to hear that Guy, usually the culprit is over-baking when it turns out not as moist. But very glad you’ll try it again! And yes it’s not a super gingerbread-y cake, maybe I’ll change the recipe to have a range on the ginger for those who like more spice!
Ieva
a thousand times yes! The cake itself is so moist and delicious, but the rum glaze makes it truly special. Perfect holiday treat for us!
So glad you loved it!
Anjali
This cake turned out perfectly moist, sweet and was super delicious! It made my kitchen smell amazing too! Great for fall and winter!
So true!! Fills the house with warm spices.
Jacqueline
That looks lush. Perfect to share at Christmas.
It really is!!
Dina and Bruce
I adore gingerbread. Made this today, and the house smelled incredible. Serving it to our family after dinner. They can not wait!
Yay! So glad you liked it!!
Jen
I really enjoyed this bundt cake! I’m saving the recipe to add to my collection. Thanks!
Thank you, Jen!!
Tasia
The crumb is just perfect on this cake! And the addition of rum makes the glaze extra yummy. Thank you for another winner Kathleen!
You are the best!! So glad you liked it!!