By Becky Hardin
Updated Mar 19, 2025
My Gingerbread Pudding Cake is such a delightful and easy Christmas dessert! It is gooey on the inside, caramelized on the outside, and full of warm spices and flavors. I enjoy it warm with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream for an irresistible treat.
5-Star Review
“Disappeared in 10 minutes! This was such a nice holiday treat. Thanks for sharing.” -Aysegul
Easy Gingerbread Pudding Cake Recipe
This Gingerbread Cake Recipe is loaded with molasses, warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger — it tastes just like Christmas. We call it Gingerbread Pudding Cake because of its slightly gooey center. The edges and top are soaked in butter and brown sugar mixture, so they caramelize as they cook, creating the most amazing texture and flavor!
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ ½ cup unsulphured molasses 170 grams
- ▢ 1 cup water 227 grams
- ▢ ¼ cup salted butter 57 grams, room temperature (½ stick)
- ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- ▢ 1 large egg white 35 grams, room temperature
- ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- ▢ 1¼ cups all purpose flour 170 grams
- ▢ ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ▢ ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ▢ ½ cup honey roasted pecans 63 grams
- ▢ 6 tablespoons brown sugar 80 grams
- ▢ Pinch coarse sea salt optional, for garnish
- ▢ ¾ cup hot water 170 grams (200°F)
- ▢ ⅔ cup salted butter 151 grams, melted (1⅓ sticks)
- ▢ vanilla bean ice cream optional, for serving
Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
- Mix the molasses with 1 cup water. ½ cup unsulphured molasses, 1 cup water
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, for about 1-2 minutes. ¼ cup salted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add in the egg and vanilla until smooth. 1 large egg white, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour in the molasses mixture and stir.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and all spices. 1¼ cups all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Add the flour mixture into the molasses mixture, beating well to fully combine. Stir in the pecans. ½ cup honey roasted pecans
- Pour mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar.* 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- Sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt (just a little bit). Pinch coarse sea salt
- Mix hot water with melted butter with a fork. Pour over the cake batter, but do not stir. ¾ cup hot water, ⅔ cup salted butter
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until cracked on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Serve warm topped with vanilla bean ice cream, if desired. vanilla bean ice cream
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 9×13 Baking Pan
- Stand Mixer
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Gingerbread Pudding Cake Step by Step
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
Prepare the wet ingredients : Mix ½ cup unsulphured molasses with 1 cup water.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the ¼ cup of salted butter with ¼ cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, for about 1-2 minutes.
Add in 1 large egg white and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract until smooth.
To this pour in the molasses mixture and stir.
Combine all dry ingredients : In a separate bowl, stir together 1¼ cups all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon of baking soda, ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger and ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
Combine wet and dry ingredients : Add the flour mixture into the molasses mixture, beating well to fully combine. Stir in ½ cup of honey roasted pecans.
Bake and serve : Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle with 6 tablespoons brown sugar. Sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt (just a little bit) .
Mix ¾ cup hot water with ⅔ cup salted butter with a fork. Pour over the cake batter, but do not stir.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until cracked on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream, if desired.
How to Store
Store gingerbread pudding cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze it. Once the cake cools to room temperature, portion it out and transfer to a freezer-friendly storage bags and freeze for up to one month. When ready, thaw overnight, warm it in microwave and top it with ice cream.
Serving Suggestions
You can make this delicious cake anytime of year. My Iced Mocha or Iced Coffee perfectly balances out the gingerbread flavors. If serving this during the holidays, I love to pair it with Spiced Apple Cider or Holiday Sangria .
Don’t forget to drizzle some Homemade Caramel Sauce for an extra indulgence!
more holiday recipes you’ll love
Crockpot Gingerbread Latte
Gingerbread House White Chocolate Bark Recipe (Christmas Bark)
Gingerbread Martini
Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
Gingerbread Pudding Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 9x13 Baking Pan
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses 170 grams
- 1 cup water 227 grams
- ¼ cup salted butter 57 grams, room temperature (½ stick)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- 1 large egg white 35 grams, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour 170 grams
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup honey roasted pecans 63 grams
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar 80 grams
- Pinch coarse sea salt optional, for garnish
- ¾ cup hot water 170 grams (200°F)
- ⅔ cup salted butter 151 grams, melted (1⅓ sticks)
- vanilla bean ice cream optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
- Mix the molasses with 1 cup water. ½ cup unsulphured molasses, 1 cup water
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, for about 1-2 minutes. ¼ cup salted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add in the egg and vanilla until smooth. 1 large egg white, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour in the molasses mixture and stir.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and all spices. 1¼ cups all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Add the flour mixture into the molasses mixture, beating well to fully combine. Stir in the pecans. ½ cup honey roasted pecans
- Pour mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar.* 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- Sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt (just a little bit). Pinch coarse sea salt
- Mix hot water with melted butter with a fork. Pour over the cake batter, but do not stir. ¾ cup hot water, ⅔ cup salted butter
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until cracked on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Serve warm topped with vanilla bean ice cream, if desired. vanilla bean ice cream
Video
Notes
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
