Easy ginger cake - this one bowl sticky vegan ginger cake is so quick and easy to make and tastes amazing; it is the best ginger cake (vegan or otherwise) I have ever eaten! Egg and dairy free.
This easy vegan ginger traybake cake is one of my absolute favourite cakes of all time. It also happens to be one of the easiest cakes I have ever made! You would never know that it is vegan and egg and dairy free.
It is very moist and sticky with a good hit of ginger, and although it is great fresh from the oven, it keeps well too and just gets stickier and better with time. It reminds me of the McVities Jamaican Ginger Cake that I grew up eating (though this one is much nicer and more flavourful!).
It is also made using entirely non-perishable store cupboard ingredients so it can be whipped up any time without needing to pop to the shops - perfect for cake emergencies!
This is the same cake recipe that I used for my Christmas Woodland Animal Ginger Cake, but this time I baked it as a sheet cake rather than a layer cake. It is a very versatile and forgiving recipe!
It is such a delicious, sticky cake that it doesn't really need any kind of adornment, but a drizzle of zingy lemon glaze does provide a nice contrast to the sweetness and warmth from the ginger.
This recipe makes a fairly large cake - about 24 small squares; so it is perfect for feeding a crowd. It also keeps really well in an airtight container if you do have leftovers and is perfect for snacking on; or warmed up for dessert with custard!
How To Make Easy Ginger Cake:
(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)
*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*
This is a really quick and easy one bowl recipe. Start by preheating the oven. Grease a traybake tin and line with a strip of baking parchment.
Tip the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, mixed spice, caster sugar and salt in to a large bowl and whisk with a balloon whisk until well combined.
Add golden syrup, treacle, sunflower oil and boiling water and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Take care not to over-mix however as this can make vegan cakes tough. The heat from the water will melt the golden syrup and treacle so that they mix in easily.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The cake is quite delicate when warm so leave it to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes before you carefully flip it out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
To make the lemon glaze, gradually stir fresh lemon juice into sifted icing sugar until it reaches a drizzling consistency then drizzle it over the cooled cake and serve.
Can Easy Vegan Ginger Cake Be Frozen?:
Yes. Once the cake is cooled it can be wrapped and frozen; either whole or in individual slices.
Variations:
- For an extra kick of ginger, stir a large handful of chopped candied or stem ginger into the batter before you bake the cake.
- Mix in a couple of handfuls of chocolate chips or chopped dried dates, figs or cranberries.
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Easy Ginger Cake (Vegan)
Ingredients
Easy Ginger Cake:
- 450 g (3 + ¾ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour sifted
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 4 ½ tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin spice)
- 160 g (¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) sunflower oil (or another neutral oil)
- 200 g (7oz) golden syrup
- 200 g (7oz) treacle (molasses)
- 360 ml (1 ½ cups) boiling water
Lemon Glaze:
- 75 g icing (powdered) sugar sifted
- juice of ½ a lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease a 23x33cm / 9x13inch rectangular cake tin and line with a strip of baking parchment.
- Whisk together the sifted plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, mixed spice, caster sugar and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the golden syrup, treacle, sunflower oil and boiling water to the bowl and whisk until no lumps of flour remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 20-30 minutes then carefully flip the cake out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- To make the lemon glaze, place the sifted icing sugar in a bowl and gradually stir in enough lemon juice to reach a drizzling consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cake, cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
- For an extra ginger kick you can add a couple of handfuls of chopped stem or candied ginger to the batter.
Liz
Made this yesterday,and it was lovely and made the kitchen smell gorgeous too.
I agree with your comment about the McVities Jamaican Ginger Cake.
I added some chocolate drops and fiery ginger pieces to the mixture as per your variations.
Will also try adding some fresh ginger next time too.
Looking forward to trying more of your recipes - first off may be the lemon curd 🙂
Jamila
What is golden syrup please? Thank you!
hannahhossack
Hi Jamila, It is a thick, sticky, golden coloured syrup that is very common in the UK. There is no substitute for it as it is very unique. It is possible to make your own however with a few basic ingredients: https://www.daringgourmet.com/how-to-make-golden-syrup/
Jen
Is there any way to cut back on the amount of oil in this recipe? Would applesauce be a good substitute?
hannahhossack
Hi Jen, I haven't tested a reduced oil version so I don't know how well it would turn out. It is already fairly low in fat compared to the amount of flour you are using for a cake. You could try swapping up to half of the oil with applesauce but you do run the risk of it potentially being a bit gummy.
Clairen Lindsey
I don’t have super fine sugar, just standard granulated sugar...will that impact the end results significantly?
hannahhossack
Hi Clairen, that will work fine. Caster sugar just dissolves into the batter more readily than granulated sugar does. You can also pulse granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until it is more finely ground to make your own caster sugar (don't go too far or you will end up with icing sugar though!).
Emma Tickner
Super easy to make and love the fact it’s store cupboard ingredients.
I have one cooking in the oven as I type this and cannot wait to try it.
Lucy
Omg!! This cake is amazing! So quick and easy to make. Thanks Hannah for sharing such a beautiful recipe. This will be a regular bake in our house.
Jamila
Now that I have made it and it is awesome!! How do I get the golden syrup to loosen up...it's like glue and I would love to make another:-) Jamila and thank you in advance!
hannahhossack
Hi Jamila, glad you enjoyed it! It sounds like the golden syrup just needs warming up a bit, you could try putting the container in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
jude Nevard
8 made this, very simple recipe and the results are amazing. Didn't have bicarb so used a bit of xanthan gum and used some of the syrup out of a jar of crystallised ginger for some of the syrup measure. Absolutely delicious.
Anne Atkinson
Made this ginger cake yesterday and it turned out absolutely perfect!!
So tasty and even better the day after!
Freezes well and I will definitely be baking it again!
Thanks Hannah - looking forward to trying more of your great recipes xx
Geoff Wilkinson
Whilst I am not vegan, my son is. When he comes to visit I like to make something special for him and this is my go to site! I have used several of your recipes and every single one has been successful. To anyone reading this I would say use digital scales, follow the recipe as written, don't go off piste, use different ingredients and then complain that it didn't turn out as well as expected.
I made this recipe yesterday, followed the instructions and it looks exactly like your photos! The kitchen is filled with beautiful spicy aromas, and the cake is as delicious. Job done!
Unlike you I'm not a domestic goddess, or gothess, just a man!
At other times I have used your recipes to make brownies, lemon cake, biscotti and flapjacks, every one delicious and indistinguishable, from or better than their non vegan alternatives.
Thank you Geoff
Anne Atkinson
Hi,
I’ve made your gingerbread cake as a tray bake a couple of times and it’s an absolute favourite now - freezes well too. We have a family birthday coming up and I wanted to make it as a birthday cake for my granddaughters first birthday.
Do you think it would work as a round cake and should the ingredients change at all in measurement?
Thank you very much .
Hannah
Hi Anne, so glad you enjoy it! This recipe is the same cake baked in round tins: https://domesticgothess.com/blog/2018/12/15/woodland-animal-ginger-cake-vegan/
Graham
Planning on making this as I love a ginger cake with custard. Very much a baking novice, so please could you tell me what a "prepared tin" in step 4 is?
Many thanks
Hannah
Hi Graham, it's just the cake tin that you greased and lined with baking parchment in step 1. I hope you enjoy it!
Graham
Thanks Hannah - that'll teach me to skim read! I'll let you know how I get on 🙂
Hannah
Haha no problem! 🙂
Graham
Made it - it's great!!! Thanks Hannah
Julie
Making this for the second time. It is absolutely gorgeous, so light and flavoursome. Delicious warm with custard or cold sliced with butter (vegan of course). I had intended freezing half of the cake but it was so popular I never got the chance! 🙂
Lizzie
Fantastic ginger cake recipe, and a hit even with my “oh no not a vegan cake” friends. Has quickly become a go-to cake in my house.
Deb
Absolutely love this ginger cake & have recommended the recipe many times. I first made it when my nephew was needing to exclude various things from his diet - it’s just as nice with GF flour. I find it incredibly forgiving. Yesterday I was short of molasses and replaced it with some syrup from a jar of stem ginger. I’ve fractured my right arm, so it can even be made more or less one handed!
Ali
This cake is delicious. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.