This Winter-Spiced Gingerbread Bundt Cake Will Make Your House Smell Like a Holiday Movie (And Taste Even Better)

Forget scented candles. One slice of this Winter-Spiced Gingerbread Bundt Cake and your kitchen turns into the coziest, spiciest, most irresistible bakery on the block. It’s rich, warmly spiced, and unapologetically festive—the kind of cake that makes people ask for the recipe before they’ve swallowed the first bite.

The glossy glaze? Optional. The second slice?

Not really. If you want a dessert that performs like a showstopper and bakes like a weeknight hero, this is it.

What Makes This Recipe Awesome

This cake is moist, tender, and sturdy enough to hold its shape, thanks to molasses and sour cream. The spice blend layers ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom for a deep winter warmth—like your favorite sweater in flavor form.

A touch of orange zest and fresh grated ginger brings brightness so it never tastes muddy. And because it’s a Bundt, it looks fancy without any piping skills. Bonus: it gets even better the next day.

Magic? Not quite—just excellent chemistry.

What You’ll Need (Ingredients)

• 2 3/4 cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional but stellar)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (240 g) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) brewed coffee, cooled (or strong black tea)
• 3/4 cup (180 g) sour cream (or full-fat Greek yogurt)
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the glaze: 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, 2–3 tablespoons orange juice, pinch of salt
• To prep the pan: softened butter and flour or baking spray with flour

Instructions

1. Prep the pan and oven: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously butter and flour a 10–12 cup Bundt pan, getting into every nook.

   Tap out excess flour. Don’t phone this in—Bundt pans are unforgiving.

2. Whisk the dry team: In a large bowl, whisk flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
3. Cream the butter and sugar: In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3–4 minutes. Scrape the bowl.

   This is where tenderness starts.

4. Add eggs and flavors: Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla, orange zest, and fresh ginger until just combined.
5. Blend molasses + coffee: In a measuring cup, whisk molasses and cooled coffee together. Looks intense.

   Tastes incredible.

6. Alternate dry and wet: With mixer on low, add one-third of dry ingredients, then half the molasses-coffee, then another third dry, remaining molasses-coffee, and finish with dry. Mix just until the flour disappears.
7. Fold in sour cream: Gently fold in sour cream by hand with a spatula until the batter is silky and uniform. Overmixing = tough cake.

   Don’t.

8. Fill and smooth: Spoon batter into the pan, smoothing the top. Tap the pan firmly on the counter 2–3 times to release air bubbles.
9. Bake: Bake 45–55 minutes, until a skewer comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs and the cake springs back lightly.
10. Cool the right way: Let cake cool in the pan for 12–15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. If it sticks, give the pan a few taps and a 5-minute patience break.
11. Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, orange juice, and a pinch of salt until pourable.

    Drizzle over completely cooled cake. Optional: finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar for “first snow” vibes.

Storage Instructions

• Room temperature: Wrap tightly or store in an airtight container up to 3 days. Flavor deepens on day 2.
• Refrigerator: Not necessary, but if you must, wrap well and bring to room temp before serving.
• Freezer: Wrap slices or the whole cake (without glaze) in plastic, then foil.

  Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then glaze.

What’s Great About This

• Holiday-level aroma with bakery-level texture. You’ll smell it down the block.
• Balanced sweetness. Molasses adds depth without sugar-shock.
• No fussy decorating. The Bundt shape and glaze do the heavy lifting.
• Make-ahead friendly. The flavor improves overnight—party planners rejoice.

Don’t Make These Errors

• Skipping the pan prep. A naked Bundt pan equals heartbreak. Use butter and flour or a flour-based spray thoroughly.
• Using blackstrap molasses. It’s too bitter and will bully your spices.

  Use unsulphured regular molasses.

• Overmixing after adding flour. Mix just to combine. Overmixing = dense, rubbery cake. Hard pass.
• Pouring hot coffee into the batter. Cool it first, or you’ll scramble the emulsion and risk a sunken middle.
• Impatient unmolding. Invert too early and the crumb tears; too late and it sticks.

  The 12–15 minute window is gold.

Variations You Can Try

• Pear and Ginger Swirl: Fold in 1 cup diced ripe pear tossed with 1 tablespoon flour. Adds juicy pops and winter charm.
• Chocolate Vein: Marble in 1/2 cup melted dark chocolate mixed with 1 tablespoon cocoa. Swirl lightly for drama.
• Maple Glaze: Swap orange juice for 2–3 tablespoons maple syrup plus a splash of milk.

  Breakfast energy, dessert vibe.

• Almond Crunch: Add 3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds to the batter and sprinkle more on top of the glaze.
• Dairy-Free: Use vegan butter, full-fat coconut yogurt, and a neutral oil (replace 2 tablespoons butter with oil for moisture). Tastes shockingly legit, IMO.
• Spice Bomb: Up ground ginger to 1 tablespoon and add a pinch of black pepper for a warming kick.

FAQ

Can I bake this in a loaf or two rounds instead of a Bundt?

Yes. Divide into two 8×4-inch loaf pans (45–55 minutes) or two 9-inch round pans (28–32 minutes).

Always start checking early and use the skewer test.

What if I don’t have sour cream?

Use full-fat Greek yogurt 1:1. For a dairy-free option, use a thick coconut yogurt. Avoid low-fat—texture will suffer.

Do I have to use coffee?

Nope.

Strong black tea, chai, or even hot water works. Coffee amplifies the chocolatey notes in molasses, but the cake will still be delicious without it.

How do I prevent the cake from sticking?

Brush softened butter into every ridge, dust with flour, and tap out excess. After baking, cool 12–15 minutes before inverting.

Also, avoid letting it cool fully in the pan—condensation becomes glue.

Can I reduce the sugar?

You can drop the brown sugar to 3/4 cup. Don’t cut the molasses; that’s structure and flavor. Reducing too much can make the crumb dry and sad.

Is fresh ginger necessary?

Not mandatory, but it sparks the flavor.

If you skip it, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger to keep the brightness.

How do I make it gluten-free?

Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend that includes xanthan gum. Let the batter rest 10 minutes before baking to hydrate the starches, then proceed.

Can I add frosting instead of glaze?

Absolutely. A tangy cream cheese frosting is stellar here.

Thin it slightly with orange juice so it drapes rather than smothers.

My Take

This Winter-Spiced Gingerbread Bundt Cake is the dessert equivalent of a warm handshake—confident, memorable, and just sweet enough. The molasses-coffee combo anchors the spice while orange and fresh ginger keep it lively. It’s low-effort theatrics: mix, bake, flip, drizzle, applause.

FYI, if you manage to save some for breakfast, it’s suspiciously good with hot coffee and a pat of salted butter. Will I be making it on repeat all season? Silly question.