New Year Ginger Spice Cake (Print Version)
A moist gluten-free cake with warming ginger and spices, ideal for festive sweet moments.
# List of Ingredients:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 2 teaspoons ground ginger
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
→ Wet Ingredients
09 - ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
10 - ½ cup vegetable oil
11 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
14 - ½ cup pure maple syrup
15 - ¼ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
→ Optional Topping
16 - ¼ cup candied ginger, finely chopped
17 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
# Step-by-step Instructions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round or square cake pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together until uniformly mixed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk brown sugar and vegetable oil until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract, applesauce, maple syrup, and milk.
04 - Gradually fold wet mixture into dry ingredients using a spatula until just combined without overmixing.
05 - Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle candied ginger if desired.
06 - Bake for 38 to 42 minutes until a toothpick inserted centrally comes out clean.
07 - Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Dust with powdered sugar before serving if preferred.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The spices warm you from the inside, especially on those cold January mornings when the house is still quiet.
- You can make it without guilt if you're avoiding gluten, but honestly, even devoted bakers stop asking questions once they taste it.
- Maple syrup keeps it impossibly moist for days, and the ginger flavor actually deepens after a day or two of sitting.
02 -
- Room-temperature eggs and dairy mix into the batter smoothly without clumping, so don't skip this step even though it feels fussy.
- Gluten-free flour blends vary wildly between brands—some are grainier, some absorb more liquid—so if your batter looks too thick or too thin, trust your eyes and add a tablespoon of milk or flour accordingly rather than following the recipe blindly.
03 -
- Test your gluten-free flour blend's expiration date before baking—older blends can lose their leavening power and leave you with a denser cake than expected.
- If your kitchen is cold, set your mixing bowls in warm water for a minute before whisking the wet ingredients—warm containers help the sugar dissolve more completely and create a silkier batter.