Quaker Gingerbread Cake with Oat Flour

Moist, rich gingerbread cake made with molasses, maple syrup, and perfectly spiced with ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. It’s a classic treat everyone will love!

Nothing says the holidays like a slice of gingerbread cake and this recipe is made with Quaker Oats, giving it a crumbly soft and moist texture complete with rich seasonal flavors.

Dusting the top with a little powdered sugar will give it a festive look and feel to every slice.

Oat Flour Gingerbread Cake 

You might be more familiar with gingerbread in the form of cookies and houses, but today I’m sharing an easy cake recipe with all those traditional flavors and a buttery, soft texture. 

Instead of using regular all-purpose flour for this cake, I used Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

Instead of using regular all-purpose flour for this cake, I used Quaker Old Fashioned Oats to make oat flour. It makes this treat have a nutty flavor that really complements the flavors of molasses, maple syrup, and spices, but don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself. 

Ginger Cake Ingredients 

Quaker Old Fashioned Oats are a staple in my pantry. I've shown you their versatility in recipes from baked oatmeal, pancakes, muffins, cookies to dinner recipes like my Roasted Veggies and Savory Oats.

Of course, it's no surprise that I turn this nutritious staple into flour and use it in baked goods as the main ingredient in this gingerbread cake.

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this recipe:

• Old Fashioned Oats
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Cinnamon
• Ground ginger
• Ground cloves
• Salt
• Butter, melted
• Molasses
• Maple syrup
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• Powdered sugar

You can find my Classic Gingerbread Cake recipe here which uses all-purpose flour.

How to Make Oat Flour Gingerbread Cake 

Gingerbread cake is a one-bowl wonder recipe since the dry ingredients get blended with the oat flour and combined with the wet ingredients. 

They say the best "how-to" is always a visual so here is a video showing you how I transform my oats into cake!

For those that love step-by-step:

Prepare
Make the oat flour and preheat the oven to 350F and spray a 9 x 9-inch square pan generously with baking spray. 

Mix the Dry Ingredients
To the oat flour add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. 

Whisk the Wet Ingredients
In a separate large bowl, whisk the butter, molasses, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and almond milk.

Combine
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. 

Bake
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. 

Dust
Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely before removing it from the pan and dusting with powdered sugar. 

Is Gingerbread Cake Gluten-Free

Traditional gingerbread cake is made with regular flour, which is not gluten-free. I love that Quaker Oats has a Gluten-Free Oat canister available for those that need to fully avoid gluten. Look for specially marked Gluten-Free products.

The great news is that all of Quaker's varieties are a good source of fiber, essential vitamins, and minerals per ½ cup serving. While you're not getting a full serving for this treat recipe, it's always a great idea to incorporate oats into your meals like with my Baked Cranberry Oatmeal, another festive recipe.

Making Gingerbread Cake Dairy-Free 

Thankfully this is an easy cake recipe to make with dairy-free ingredients by swapping the melted butter for equal parts melted coconut oil or a vegan butter alternative.

How to Bake the Best Gingerbread Cake 

Outside of following the recipe there are a few tips and tricks to make sure your cake turns out perfect, every single time. 

How to Measure the Oats

Since this recipe uses Quaker's Old-Fashioned oats, it’s important to note that you measure 3 cups of oats into the blender. From there, it will yield approximately 2 ¾ cups oat flour. Oats to flour ratio isn't a 1 to 1 ratio, but I thought it would be simpler to start with the oats.

Line the pan
To prevent the cake from sticking, be sure to generously spray the pan or line pan with parchment paper. 

Baking Pan
A 9×9 inch (22cm x 22cm) square cake pan will create thicker slices but you can always use a 9-inch (22cm) round pan. 

Molasses
You’ll want to use the finer molasses with a sweet, rich flavor and not Blackstrap, which can be bitter. 

Maple Syrup
The recipe calls for  pancake syrup. As a substitute, honey may also be used.

Powdered Sugar
This ingredient is completely optional and used as decoration.

Does Gingerbread Cake Freeze Well

To develop this recipe I've tested quite a few batches and I can tell you that this gingerbread cake freezes very well.

You can make a few of them ahead of the holidays and gift them or stash them in your freezer to enjoy with your family.

Here’s how to make it last longer: 

1. Slice the cake into individual portions. 
2. Wrap each slice with plastic wrap and place them in a large, freezer-safe zip bag. 
3. Seal the zip bag and freeze for up to 2 months. 

When you’re ready for a quick treat remove the desired amount of cake from the freezer and defrost at room temperature or reheat in the microwave, it’ll taste fresh like the day you baked it. 

How Long Does Gingerbread Last? 

In the freezer, gingerbread cake will last for up to 2 months. If stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator, in an airtight container it will be good for 5 days.  

What Fruits Go Best with Gingerbread Cake? 

Gingerbread has an incredible flavor all on its own but garnishing it with powdered sugar and winter fruits on top can turn this simple cake into a show-stopping dessert. 

• Sliced orange or orange zest- you can even add zest to the batter
• Fresh cranberries
• Currants

Of course. I'm the type to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy it with my cake -just like my breakfast bowl of oats. For more delicious oat recipes, head over to QuakerOats.com.