Easy homemade pudding cake! This Gingerbread Pudding Cake is a moist apple gingerbread cake that makes its own caramel apple sauce while it bakes.
I like pumpkin spice, but I love gingerbread.
There’s just something about the combination of the warm spices, moist cake, and molasses that I can’t get enough of!
I eat my gingerbread topped with applesauce, and this gingerbread pudding cake was inspired by that combination of gingerbread and apples. The applesauce in the cake helps to make it moist, and the apple cider gives the sauce great flavor.
And this gingerbread pudding cake does part of the work for you. Just add the topping ingredients, and, like magic, it forms a sauce underneath the cake as it bakes. Top it with a little whipped cream for some extra deliciousness.
More gingerbread recipes!
More pudding cake recipes!
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Gingerbread Pudding Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 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 granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/2 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 8x11-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.
- Top with toasted pecans, if desired.
Yolanda says
Has anyone made this cake without the milk. Either subbing in a non dairy milk or increasing the applesauce to eliminate the use of any type of milk?
Kate says
Hi! I think you would be fine subbing nondairy milk in this recipe. Hope that helps! =)
Maureen Papineau says
I’ve made this twice now and it was absolutely delicious and turned out perfectly. If I want to make it in a 9×13 pan, can I just double the recipe?
Kate says
Thank you so much! I haven’t tried doubling it, but I would guess that it would work. Good luck! =)
Chrissie says
I increased the ingredients by 1.5, and this fit perfectly in a 9×13. Delicious!
Kate says
That’s great! It’s good to hear that that worked. I’m sure that will help other people who are looking to make a larger batch. Thank you! =)
Karen Herweck says
Could this be made a few hours before baking up to and including step 7? Then pour apple cider and water over just before baking.
Kate says
I’m not sure! I haven’t tried making part of the recipe ahead of time like that, so I’m not sure how that would work.
Jennifer Ortiz says
I made the batter ahead of time and kept the sugar mixture and apple cider water separate until right before I baked it. Turned out perfect. I also divided the recipe in half and baked in individual ramekins.
Kate says
Great! I’m glad to hear that! Thank you for your notes and for commenting. =)
Angelika Lewis says
Could this be made ahead – perhaps as a gift – and then reheated later? What would be the time & temperature, maybe 30 min. at 350 degrees?
Kate says
I just want to make sure that I understand the question. Are you asking if you could prepare a dry mix ahead as a gift? Or are you asking if you could completely prepare it and then reheat it?
Cindy Robertson says
This was disgusting. I think that was too much apple cider vinegar. I total waste of the rest of the ingredients
Kate says
I’m afraid that you misread the recipe. There is no apple cider vinegar in this recipe. There is, however, apple cider in the topping. I could see how using apple cider vinegar in place of the apple cider would make it disgusting. I hope you’ll give it a try again with the apple cider!
Cindy Robertson says
lol, so sorry. Your very correct. Next time I had better put my glasses on 🙄
Kate says
No worries! I’m just sorry that you wasted all of those ingredients! And I can ony imagine how bad all of that vinegar made your kitchen smell. I do hope that you enjoy it if you try it again!
Lynn Goomis says
I am making this right now will let you know how it turns out. My grandmother aways gave us warm gingerbread with eagles brand sweetened condensed milk poured over. Try it. It is the ultimate comfort food.
Kate says
I hope you like it! Growing up, we ate gingerbread with applesauce, and I still love that today. =)
Carol says
This recipe is a marriage of my two favorite desserts.. pudding cake and gingerbread cake. I usually make a sauce to pour on my gingerbread cake but I love that this one makes it’s own. I used apple juice and water. Delicious!! The only thing I will try next time is a smaller pan. 8×11 spreads too thin. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked it! Thanks for coming back to comment. =)
Wendy says
What could you use instead of apple cider?
Kate says
I haven’t tried anything else, but I would think that apple juice would be the closest sub. Water may also work, but I can’t say for sure. Good luck!
Kristal says
I used 2/3 cup apple sauce and topped the rest up with water…is amazing!!!
Kate says
Thank you for the tip! So glad you liked it!
Jen says
Served this with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was DELICIOUS!
Kate says
So glad you liked it! That’s exactly how my husband likes his cake, too. =)
Karly says
Head over heels for this pudding cake. So perfect for the holidays and so gorgeous!!
Kate says
Thank you!!