Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

By Sarah On December 22, 2014 | Updated: December 18, 2025

Old-fashioned gingerbread cake is a must around the holidays! This simple cake is perfectly spiced, incredibly moist, and the best Christmas dessert with a dollop of whipped cream and caramel sauce on top.

We’re getting our gingerbread on today and going all the way back to the good ‘ol classics. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated, just a nostalgic, old-fashioned gingerbread cake that tastes like actual Christmas.

That one dessert that makes you want to skip all the cookies, and just dive into the pan with both hands.

There’s something so cozy about a gingerbread cake and this recipe fits the bill. It’s got the perfect amount of spice, it’s impossibly moist inside, and 100% a dessert you need on your holiday dessert table.

Preferably with buckets of whipped cream + caramel sauce on top.

This Gingerbread features…

A moist and tender texture
Rich spiced gingerbread flavor from both fresh ginger, orange, and lots of spices
A quick batter that comes together in minutes and serves a crowd

Making the Gingerbread

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

Unsalted butter
Brown sugar
Eggs
Molasses
Fresh ginger
Orange zest
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Spices
Salt
Hot water

Tips for Perfect Gingerbread

Cream butter and sugar together – make sure your butter is softened to room-temperature and cream well with the brown sugar several minutes until completely smooth.
Use stand mixer or mix dough by hand – this recipe is both mixer-friendly and old-fashioned-bowl-and-spoon friendly.
Bring eggs to room temperature – this will help the eggs mix more cohesively into the butter.
Spoon and level flour – I use the spoon-and-level technique for measuring flour as this will prevent over-measuring your flour. Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife.
Use fresh ginger and ground – this double amount of ginger adds the perfect zingy amount of ginger flavor that doesn’t get lost in the cake.
Test cake with toothpick – insert a toothpick in the center of cake to determine doneness.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this cake.

Top cake with a frosting – skip the whipped cream/caramel sauce and top cooled gingerbread with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Add nuts – fold 1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts into the batter.
Add chocolate – fold 3/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips into the batter.

Storing and Freezing Gingerbread

Allow the cake to cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days. If you plan to frost the cake or serve with whipped cream I recommend doing this shortly before serving cake.

To freeze cake, allow to cool completely, wrap well, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw cake at room temperature and store up to 4 days.

Before I send you off into the kitchen on your gingerbread mission, please note that fresh whipped cream and a few drizzles of caramel sauce on top of your personal slice of cake is absolutely NOT optional.

Neither is that inevitable second slice.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

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