This old-fashioned gingerbread cake is made with einkorn flour and updated with a delicious mocha frosting for the most irresistible combination. It might just be your new holiday favorite!
When I was creating this recipe, I was trying to recreate the experience of drinking a gingerbread latte from my favorite local coffee shop. While pumpkin spice is much loved and rightly so, gingerbread is unique and just as festive and seasonally relevant.
It’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy (from warm clove, ginger, and cinnamon), with a pleasing bitterness from the espresso powder and a richness from the cream cheese.
Together, these flavors simply sing – making the yummiest cake that is perfect not only for the holidays, but for all of fall and winter.
It’s the perfect cake to make when friends come over for an afternoon playdate with coffee. There is just something about eating something sweet with coffee that brings me a lot of joy.
This moist gingerbread cake is made with einkorn flour so that it is easier to digest, healthier than conventional flour, and doesn’t require fermentation like other flours (you can find my sourdough chocolate cake recipe here.)
Einkorn Gingerbread Cake Tips
- Always ensure your baking soda is fresh (I recommend buying small containers of baking soda and using them up within 3-6 months).
- For einkorn flour, I use Jovial (whole grain einkorn).
- This cake is perfect for a coffee date or tea time dessert.
- It’s not overly sweet or full of sugar, which I appreciate.
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Why is gingerbread so good?
Gingerbread has such a complex and delicious depth of flavor that comes from the combination of molasses, clove, cinnamon, and ginger. These build a wonderful richness and warmth, making it the perfect sweet treat for the holidays.
Is gingerbread a bread or cookie?
It really is a loose term that can indicate a cookie, bread, or cake. Usually, you will find it as a cookie or cake.
What you’ll need to make einkorn gingerbread cake
- Einkorn flour – I use Jovial all-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Spices – cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves
- Butter – unsalted (I like to be able to control the amount of salt added)
- Sugar
- Egg
- Molasses – light, unsulfured. not blackstrap.
- Hot water
Mocha Frosting
- Butter – (unsalted) room temperature
- Cream cheese – room temperature, preferably full fat
- Espresso powder
- Powdered sugar
Tools you may need:
Large bowl
Measuring cups (liquid and dry) and spoons
Spatula
How To Make Gingerbread Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
Begin by whisking flour, baking soda, salt, and all spices together in a medium-sized bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat together butter and sugar for several minutes until light and fluffy.
Add one room temperature egg and mix until well combined.
Add in molasses and hot water and mix again. Slowly combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
Pour the batter into a baking dish and place in the oven.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool.
Make Mocha Frosting
In a small mixing bowl, using a hand held mixer or stand mixer, cream together room temperature butter, room temperature cream cheese, espresso powder, and icing sugar.
Beat together until the icing is light and fluffy with no lumps. This takes about 2-5 minutes.
Ice the cake after it has fully cooled, and enjoy!
This cake pairs really nicely with a warm cup of tea or coffee.
Find More Delicious Einkorn Recipes
- Berry Crisp Made With Einkorn
- Easy Orange Chicken – From Scratch
- Easy Einkorn Brownies
- Einkorn Tortillas
- Homemade Apple Pie Recipe With Einkorn Crust
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone
Einkorn Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups einkorn flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 3/4 cup hot water
Mocha Icing
- 1/2 cup butter, unsalted room temperature
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Begin by whisking flour, baking soda, salt and all spices together in a medium-sized bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat together butter and sugar for several minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add one room temperature egg and mix until well combined.
- Add in molasses and hot water and mix again. Slowly combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
- Pour the batter into a baking dish and place in the oven.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool.
Create The Mocha Frosting
- In a small mixing bowl using a hand held mixer or stand mixer, cream together room temperature butter, room temperature cream cheese, espresso powder and icing sugar.
- Beat together until the icing is light and fluffy with no lumps. This takes anywhere from 2-5 minutes.
- Ice the cake after it has fully cooled, then enjoy!
Notes
- Always ensure your baking soda is fresh (I recommend buying small containers of baking soda and using them up within 3-6 months).
- For einkorn flour, I use Jovial (whole grain einkorn).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I use sourdough starter in this recipe instead of the 1/2C flour?
Hi Lisa Under: Einkorn Gingerbread Cake Tips Whole Grain Einkorn is listed. In the recipe ingredients list, the All Purpose Einkorn is listed. Can your gingerbread recipe be made with Whole Grain Einkorn? Thank you.
That should work.
Would spelt flour work instead? I’m excited to try!! 😊
I have not tried that, so I can’t say for sure. I would think it would work, but you may need to alter the amounts slightly, and it may also affect the taste. Let us know if you try it!
This is cake is perfect! Absolutely love it and will definitely be making it often! I actually haven’t tried it with the frosting yet. Love the cake plain so far. I’ll wait for a special occasion to frost it. I buy the einkorn berries from Azure Standard and grind them. Amazing recipe! Thank you
So glad you enjoy it! Thanks for sharing!
Hi!
Can freshly ground whole grain Einkorn flour be used? Also, can this be fermented like your carrot cake? Thank you.
Yes, freshly ground works well in this recipe. I have not personally tried fermenting this one, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Would I be able to substitute gluten free flour with equal parts for the flour?
I’m not sure. I’ve never tried to make it gluten free. Gluten free flour and einkorn probably absorb liquid at a difference rate as well.
Hello, I am in the UK and have no idea where to even start to find some einkorn flour, can I sub regular plain flour instead? Thanks!
Hey! They can’t really be exchanged one for one as einkorn absorbs less liquid. You should be able to find it on Amazon.
Thank you for this AMAZING recipe!! It is SOOOOO good. We just make a glaze with 1 c powdered sugar,a little milk and some Dandy blend and swirl over it instead of frosting.