Easy homemade pudding cake! This Gingerbread Pudding Cake is a moist apple gingerbread cake that makes its own caramel apple sauce while it bakes.
Gingerbread is a classic at the holidays for a reason! There’s just something about the combination of the warm spices, moist cake, and molasses that is so homey and comforting.
This gingerbread pudding cake is really easy to make. The oven does a lot of the work for you.
Just add the topping ingredients, and, like magic, it forms a sauce underneath the cake as it bakes. Serve it topped with a little whipped cream for some extra deliciousness.
“I’ve made this twice now and it was absolutely delicious and turned out perfectly. ” – Maureen
Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Spices: For spicier gingerbread, double the amount of ginger and cinnamon.
- Molasses: I like to use robust molasses for stronger flavor, but regular molasses or mild molasses will also work. I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses as it can be bitter.
- Unsweetened applesauce: The applesauce should be a smooth puree, not a chunkier sauce.
- Vegetable oil: A similar neutral oil, like canola or even olive oil, will work.
- Milk: Any milk – skim to whole – will work. I’ve also used buttermilk in this recipe.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will work.
- Apple cider: Either refrigerated fresh cider or bottled shelf-stable apple cider will work. I try to use fresh cider when available.
How to make gingerbread pudding cake
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and spices. Set aside.
Step 2: In a separate large bowl, whisk together applesauce, milk, oil, molasses, and vanilla together until well-combined.
Step 3: Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined.
Step 4: Pour batter into an 8×11-inch (shallow 2 quart), or similarly sized, baking dish.
Step 5: In a separate bowl, stir sugars and cinnamon together.
Step 6: Sprinkle topping evenly over the batter.
Step 7: Pour apple cider and water over the topping. DO NOT STIR!
Step 8: Bake for 40 minutes, or until middle is set. Cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips!
- 9×13: To make this recipe in a 9×13 pan, increase the ingredients by 1.5.
- Less sweet: To make the cake less sweet, decrease the granulated sugar in the topping to 1/4 cup, decrease the water in the topping to 1/4 cup, and be sure to use unsweetened applesauce. I’ve also found that using robust molasses tastes a little less sweet than mild molasses.
Serving suggestions
Gingerbread pudding cake is delicious all on its own. The cake can be topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.
Or you can add a few toasted pecans for a little texture and crunch!
Storage
Store any leftover gingerbread pudding cake in an airtight container at room temperature. The cake will keep for 2-3 days when properly stored.
For longer storage, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More pudding cake recipes!
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Gingerbread Pudding Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup apple cider not apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and spices. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together applesauce, milk, oil, molasses, and vanilla together until well-combined.
- Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined.
- Pour batter into an 8×11-inch (shallow 2 quart), or similarly sized, baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, stir sugars and cinnamon together.
- Sprinkle topping evenly over the batter.
- Pour apple cider and water over the topping. DO NOT STIR!
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until middle is set.
- Cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Spices: For spicier gingerbread, double the amount of ginger and cinnamon.
- Unsweetened applesauce – The applesauce should be a smooth puree, not a chunkier sauce.
- Vegetable oil – A similar neutral oil, like canola or even olive oil, will work.
- Milk – Any milk – skim to whole – will work. I’ve also used buttermilk in this recipe.
- Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work.
- Apple cider – Either refrigerated fresh cider or bottled shelf-stable apple cider will work. I try to use fresh cider when available.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Originally posted 11/2/17. This post is regularly updated.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Ann says
This is REALLY sweet. If I make it again, I’d try cutting down the sugar topping. 40 minutes was spot on in my oven as it baked perfectly. Just too sweet for our taste.
Kate says
Hi! I’m glad that it turned out well for you! I get comments on the same recipe saying that it’s both too sweet and not sweet enough, so my suggestion is always to adjust based on your tastes. If you do cut some of the sugar in the topping, you may also need to cut some of the liquid from the topping so that you don’t end up with soupy pudding.
Cynthia says
Is there a dairy free option…ok to use coconut milk in place of milk?
Kate says
Yes, you can use a dairy-free milk, like almond milk, instead of using dairy milk.
Holmes Courtney says
Can I bake this in advance and reheat?
Kate says
Sure!