Snack cakes are the perfect treat to enjoy in the afternoon with a cup of coffee or your favorite tea! This vegan gingerbread cake will be your go to this holiday season.
Jump to RecipeDo you ever have those days where you're craving a delicious slice of cake? Me too! This is where snack cakes come into play. No, need for a special occasion and elaborate decorating to whip up this easy vegan gingerbread cake recipe. You will not believe how amazing your kitchen is going to smell when baking this!
Key ingredients you'll need to make this recipe:
- Vegetable oil
- Molasses
- Sweet potato purée
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Baking soda
- Ground ginger
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Salt
Is the cream cheese frosting also vegan?
Yes! I have been super curious about vegan cream cheese, lately. I had never tried it up until this weekend. I'll be honest with you, it does have a unique taste when you try to enjoy it by itself. Luckily, there isn't much that vanilla extract and powdered sugar can't fix! I also added 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to add more thickness to it which was done to avoid over sweetening the frosting by adding a ton of sugar.
Ingredients you'll need to make the cream cheese frosting:
- Vegan cream cheese
- Vanilla extract
- Cornstarch
- Confectioners sugar
Where can I find vegan cream cheese?
I wasn't able to find any at one of the larger chain grocery stores. I recommend searching for this item at one of your local health food stores like Sprouts and Barons or Roots if you're local to the Inland Empire.
I know gingerbread anything is typically enjoyed during the holidays but I feel like you can enjoy it anytime of the year...ok, maybe not summer! I just really love all the warm spices in this cake!
The texture of this cake is dense, which I personally love. I purposely left out the baking powder to achieve this. The taste and smell of the ground ginger and molasses really shine through.
How should I store my vegan gingerbread cake?
Because the frosting in this cake does not contain any dairy, it is safe to leave out at room temperature. I do recommend keeping it covered in a cake storage container or other airtight container. Additionally, if the weather is warmer where you are, consider storing it in the refrigerator.
Also, just have fun and get creative. You can add some food coloring to the frosting or some cute holiday sprinkles like I did here. Let me know in the comments if you give this recipe a try. Happy holidays from yours truly!
Looking for another snack cake to try? Check out my hot chocolate cake with vegan fluff.
Link to 9x9" baking dish on Amazon.
Vegan Gingerbread Snack Cake
Equipment
- 9"x9" baking dish
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup molasses
- ½ cup sweet potato purée
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup organic brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tsp allspice
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. You can also opt to line with parchment paper for easy removal from dish. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice. Sift ingredients first, if possible. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together sweet potato purée, oil, vanilla, molasses, and sugar. Add these wet ingredients to your bowl of dry ingredients and combine well.
- Pour batter into dish. Batter will be a bit sticky which is fine. Pat and spread batter with a spatula. Bake for 32 minutes at 350°F. Start making your frosting towards the end of your baking time. Let cake cool on a cooling rack for 20-30 minutes before adding frosting.
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In your stand mixer, combine cream cheese, vanilla extract, cornstarch, and confectioners sugar.
- Spread over the top of your cooled, cake. Add festive sprinkles if desired!
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