This easy, soft gingerbread bundt cake is packed with the rich flavors of orange, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and mixed spice.
A quick, simple bundt cake perfect for this Fall or Holiday season! And it is definitely on my Christmas bake list. This gingerbread bundt cake recipe takes advantage of the citrus season and warm cozy spices essential during winter.
The holiday season is filled with warm spices, cakes and biscuits (or cookies as my North American friends call them). And this gingerbread cake has all the holiday vibes packed into a quick and easy cake!
Don't forget to check out my Rich Christmas Cake!
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Why You Will Love this Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- This is a really easy bundt cake that comes together in a few minutes.
- This cake is best baked the day before an event to allow the molasses and spices to really get to know each other. Which makes it the perfect bake-ahead cake for all your Fall or Holiday events!
- The combination of orange, molasses and warm spices will warm your soul.
What is Gingerbread?
Gingerbread can refer to cakes, cookies (or biscuits) that have been flavoured with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon which is sweetened not only with sugar but with molasses or honey for a deeper more complex flavour.
Gingerbread is said to have been brought to Europe from Armenia in 992 CE. These cakes and biscuits can be ground across the continent.
In England, gingerbread can refer to as cake (similar to this recipe) or as a biscuit in the form of a gingerbread man. These fun-shaped cookies have been attributed to the court of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the Netherlands and Belgium, this gingerbread cake takes the form of the ontbijtkoek (or peperkoek), while in Germany the cookies are known as Lebkuchen. Every region in Europe has a ginger-based cake or biscuit.
Ingredients
Here are some notes on the ingredients used in this recipe. Please see the recipe card for quantities.
Plain flour (all-purpose flour/standard grade flour) refers to flour that has a protein content of approximately 9.5-12%.
Baking powder and baking soda give this cake a lift. Make sure your baking powder and soda are fresh by testing each one separately by pouring some boiling water over a ¼ teaspoon. If it bubbles and fizzes then it is still fresh.
Butter adds richness, and moisture to this cake. I use New Zealand butter which is very similar to European butter, which has about 82% butterfat.
Spices - ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and mixed spiced (which can be substituted with pumpkin spice) give this gingerbread bundt cake a nice rounded spiced flavor.
Orange juice and zest add a nice citrus flavor to the cake, which balances nicely with the spice.
Water adds additional moisture to the cake.
Molasses adds a delicious flavor but can be substituted in entirety or partially with golden syrup or maple syrup.
Eggs - I use a New Zealand size 6 egg, which is around the same size as Australian and South African Large Eggs, but closer to a US/Europe Medium sized egg.
Vanilla extract enhances the flavors of the other ingredients in recipe and is a cornerstone ingredients to baked goods and desserts containing eggs.
Room Temperature Ingredients
Use room-temperature ingredients! Using room temperature ingredients ensures that ingredients in the batter or dough will be incorporated easier. Take note that room temperature refers to around 20°C/68F.
- To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, place them into warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- To bring butter to room temperature quickly, cut the butter into cubes and zap in the microwave at 20% power in 10-second intervals. Or place the cubes in a bowl over warm water (such as with a double boiler) over low heat for 1 minute!
- Milk, buttermilk, and cream can be brought to room temperature by zapping in the microwave at 20% power in 10-second intervals. Or on a low heat for a minute or two swirling every 10-15 seconds.
Weighing & Measuring Ingredients
Weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale is more accurate than using measuring cups. All my recipes are developed and tested using grams only.
However, I have activated the metric-to-cup conversions. Simply click on "cups" or "metric" for your preferred measurements. For these conversions, cups are equal to 240 millilitres/8 fluid ounces, tablespoons are 15 milliliters and teaspoons are 5mL.
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How to make an Orange Gingerbread Cake
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 170°C/340F or 150°C fan-assisted. Place the rack in the middle of the oven.
Step 2 - Whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3 - Mix the sugar, butter, and molasses until smooth. Allow cooling for about 5 to 10 minutes before adding in the orange juice, water, zest, and eggs, whisk together until well combined.
Step 4 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined.
Step 5 - Grease the bundt pan either using butter and a dusting of flour or liberally spray with a non-stick spray. Pour the cake mixture into the bundt pan and tap the pan on the kitchen counter to release air bubbles.
Step 6 - Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes (checking at the 40-minute mark) until a cake tester comes out mostly clean. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wired rack or plate to cool completely.
Step 7 - Make the glaze by mixing together the icing sugar, spiced and orange juice until smooth with a pouring consistency. Pour over the cake and serve.
Pro Tips for this Recipe
Ovens
The temperatures stated are for conventional ovens. For convection, fan-forced, fan-assisted, or air-fryers, the temperature must be reduced by 20°C/25°F.
For baking, make sure the oven is fully preheated, and that the rack is in the middle of the oven. Open the oven as little as possible. For best baking results use an oven thermometer.
Remember that all ovens work slightly differently and bake times may need to be adjusted for your specific oven.
Bakeware
Metal bakeware is superior when it comes to baking biscuits, cookies, brownies, muffins and quick bread, scones, cakes. These heat up and cool down faster than glassware. Glassware is heavier, heats up and cools down slower than metal, and is more suited for bread puddings, pies, crisps, crumbles, and cobblers.
Storage and Freezing
This cake will keep for several days in an airtight container at room temperature. And can be frozen, wrapped, and stored in an airtight container for about 2 months.
Orange Gingerbread Cake FAQ
Gingerbread can refer to a ginger cake flavored with ginger and cinnamon, and sweetened with sugar, honey, or molasses.
Gingerbread refers to a variety of baked goods that can be a cake or a biscuit (cookie) flavored with ginger and cinnamon (amongst other warm spices) and sweeter with sugar, honey, or honey molasses.
Yes. In fact, it is recommended that this cake is allowed to rest overnight or for up to 24 hours before serving. This is a great cake to be made the day before an event.
Rate & Review!
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Recipe Card
Gingerbread Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
Ingredients
Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- 360 grams plain flour (all-purpose/standard grade)
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ mixed spice pumpkin spice
- ½ table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda (bicarb/bread soda)
- 125 grams butter
- 200 grams white granulated sugar (caster/granulated)
- 170 grams molasses
- 125 grams orange juice
- 125 grams water
- 2 eggs (large)
- zest of an orange
Glaze/Icing
- 150 grams icing sugar (powdered/confectioner's)
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3-5 tablespoons orange juice or water or milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/340F or 150°C fan-assisted. Place the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.360 grams plain flour, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1½ mixed spice, ½ table salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Melt together the sugar, butter, and molasses until smooth.125 grams butter, 200 grams white granulated sugar, 170 grams molasses
- Allow to cool for about 5 to 10 minutes before adding in the orange juice, water, zest and eggs, whisk together until well combined.125 grams orange juice, 125 grams water, zest of an orange, 2 eggs
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined.
- Grease the bundt pan either using butter and a dusting of flour or liberally spray with a non-stick spray. Pour the cake mixture into the bundt pan and tap the pan on the kitchen counter to release air bubbles.
- Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes (checking at the 40-minute mark) until a cake tester comes out mostly clean. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10-20 minutes before turning it out onto a wired rack or plate to cool completely.
- Make the glaze by mixing together the icing sugar, spiced and orange juice until smooth with a pouring consistency. Pour over the cake and serve.150 grams icing sugar, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3-5 tablespoons orange juice or water or milk
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate. If scaling the recipe remember to scale your cook and bakeware accordingly. All temperatures stated are conventional, unless otherwise stated. Recipes tested in grams and at sea level.
Rachel Benham says
Excellent recipe! My first time actually weighing out measurements for ingredients. I love the amount of ginger used in this recipe. I used fresh squeezed Cara Cara oranges and the zest from the same. Very delicious and light cake.
Mary-Lou says
Thank you so much! I'm so happy. I love weighing out ingredients, I find it easier and I usually land up with fewer dishes (which is always a bonus in my book!). I had to look up Cara Cara oranges as I haven't come across them as yet in my grocery shopping expeditions. And I need to get my hands on some and compare to our regular naval oranges!
Thanks again for your kind words,
Mary-Lou