15 of Our Deepest, Darkest Gingerbread Cake Recipes

Updated: Jan. 05, 2022

Gingerbread cutout cookies are all well and good, but to be honest, the aromas and flavors come through so much better in cake form! Here are our best gingerbread cakes, from the traditional to the unexpected.

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Can’t get enough gingerbread? Check out our complete guide for gingerbread cookies, houses, cakes and more.

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Ginger-Walnut Tube Cake

My husband, Ken, loves this tube cake with its bits of crystallized ginger. Feel free to drizzle it with a lemony glaze. —Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House, NJ
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Chocolate Gingerbread Yule Log

If you’ve tasted a yule log sponge cake, you’ll love this version with fresh ginger and spices. The holiday stunner can be made ahead. —Lauren Knoelke, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes

These luscious cupcakes have a touch of semisweet chocolate in the batter and white chocolate in the filling. They melt away fast at our house. —Patricia Harmon, Baden, Pennsylvania
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Contest-Winning Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce

I asked my mother-in-law for this recipe once I learned it's my husband's favorite. Now I bake it whenever he needs an extra-special treat. Spice cake topped with lemony sauce makes us both smile. —Kristen Oak, Pocatello, Idaho
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Gingerbread with Fig-Walnut Sauce

I experimented with aniseed this past holiday season and fell in love with the licorice flavor. It really enhances the gingerbread spices and fig sauce in this extraordinary cake. —Shelly Bevington-Fisher, Hermiston, Oregon
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Granny's Gingerbread Cake with Caramel Sauce

The rich molasses and spice flavor of this old-time dessert is complemented with a buttery caramel sauce.—Joy Sparks, Muskegon, Michigan
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Gingerbread Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

Pleasantly-spiced gingerbread and crunchy nuts are the stars in this stunning dessert. Top the delectable delight with spiced whipped cream frosting. —Sarah Hatter, Brodhead, Wisconsin
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Gingerbread Pudding Cake

Super-moist cake gets all spiced up in this scrumptious slow-cooked dessert. If you want it a little sweeter, drizzle it with maple syrup. —Barbara Cook, Yuma, Arizona
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Glazed Gingerbread Cake

This is a favorite dessert during the holidays and at special occasions. I’ve tried creating a glaze of some sort to drizzle over this moist, flavorful cake, but have found that it’s delicious as is. A tall glass of cold milk is the only addition I’d suggest.—Edith Ekstedt, Paso Robles, California
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Peachy Gingerbread Cake Roll

My father loved gingerbread so I combined two or three recipes to create this one for him. This fruity, spiced cake roll gets kudos every time I serve it. —Dawn DePew, Blacklick, Ohio
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Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread Cake

The aroma of baking gingerbread stirs up such warm memories. This cake looks festive and is even on the lighter side. —Nancy Beckman, Helena, Montana
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Gingerbread

My grandmother first used this recipe for gingerbread more than 100 years ago. I remember that the kitchen smelled like heaven when Grandmother baked her gingerbread. The only thing better was when she took it out of the oven and served it with a generous topping of fresh whipped cream! —Ellouise Halstead, Union Grove, Wisconsin