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.
Ingredients and substitutions
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Molasses - I like to use robust molasses for stronger flavor, but regular molasses or mild molasses will also work.
- 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.
- Vanilla extract
- 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.
- Water
How to make gingerbread pudding cake
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.
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.
Add a few toasted pecans for a little texture and crunch!
More gingerbread recipes!
More pudding cake recipes!
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Gingerbread Pudding Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅓ cup molasses
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup apple cider
- ½ 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.
Notes
- Molasses - I like to use robust molasses for stronger flavor, but regular molasses or mild molasses will also work.
- 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.
- 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 Information
Originally posted 11/2/17. Updated with additional photos and information on 12/14/21.
Vicki
Wow! This was not only delish, but so easy and the perfect Christmas desert! A keeper for sure. Thank you
Kate
Thank you!
Julie
Has anyone tried this in a bunt cake pan?
Kate
I haven't heard from anyone who has!
Robin Avarello
I haven't made this recipe yet. Can you tell me how well it freezes to make ahead of time.
Thanks,
Robin
Kate
Hi! I haven't tried freezing this pudding to say for certain.
Pam
This was amazing! Served with whipped cream.
Pam
This was amazing! Served with whipped cream.
Kate
Thank you! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the cake! Thanks for commenting! =)
Virginia
Oops! Forgot to rate this.
Kate
Thank you!
Jody
Awful!! All we could taste and smell was the vinegar.. a dessert you should’ve made as a test run BEFORE serving for company
Kate
There is NO vinegar in this recipe. Did you use apple cider vinegar instead of the apple cider that the recipe calls for? That would certainly make a difference!
Virginia
I've made this twice for a crowd, and both times it was a rousing success. As recommended in the comment section, 1 1/2 times the recipe works perfectly for a 9" x 13" pan.
How long do you think I should bake it in a 6 oz ramekin?
Kate
Yay!! I'm so happy to hear that! I haven't tried baking this recipe in a 6 oz ramekin, but I have a lemon pudding cake that I bake in that size ramekin. I bake it in a waterbath for about 30 minutes. I hope that helps!
Yolanda
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
Hi! I think you would be fine subbing nondairy milk in this recipe. Hope that helps! =)
Maureen Papineau
I’ve made this twice now and it was absolutely delicious and turned out perfectly. If I want to make it in a 9x13 pan, can I just double the recipe?
Kate
Thank you so much! I haven't tried doubling it, but I would guess that it would work. Good luck! =)
Chrissie
I increased the ingredients by 1.5, and this fit perfectly in a 9x13. Delicious!
Kate
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
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
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
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
Great! I'm glad to hear that! Thank you for your notes and for commenting. =)
Angelika Lewis
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
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
This was disgusting. I think that was too much apple cider vinegar. I total waste of the rest of the ingredients
Kate
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
lol, so sorry. Your very correct. Next time I had better put my glasses on ?
Kate
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
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
I hope you like it! Growing up, we ate gingerbread with applesauce, and I still love that today. =)
Carol
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. 8x11 spreads too thin. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Kate
Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked it! Thanks for coming back to comment. =)
Wendy
What could you use instead of apple cider?
Kate
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
I used 2/3 cup apple sauce and topped the rest up with water...is amazing!!!
Kate
Thank you for the tip! So glad you liked it!
Jen
Served this with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was DELICIOUS!
Kate
So glad you liked it! That's exactly how my husband likes his cake, too. =)
Karly
Head over heels for this pudding cake. So perfect for the holidays and so gorgeous!!
Kate
Thank you!!