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Two pieces of gingerbread cake stacked on top of each other.
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Maple Gingerbread Cake

This moist and tender gingerbread cake is topped with a brown sugar pecan crumble and sweet maple icing.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 396kcal
Author Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour*
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses at room temperature
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon maple extract
  • ½ cup buttermilk at room temperature (see notes for substitutes)

Topping:

  • ⅔ cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup finely chopped pecans
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted or very soft

Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1½ tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon maple extract

Instructions

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a 9x9 square baking pan.
  • Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
  • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar until well combined, about one full minute. Add eggs, molasses, syrup, and maple extract, beat until combined (the mixture might look curdled, that’s OK). Scrap the sides/bottom of the bowl as needed
  • Add half of the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Slowly beat in the buttermilk, then beat in the remaining dry ingredients. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Topping:

  • Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, pecans, and salt. Add butter and stir until well combined (I use a fork). Sprinkle over the top of the cake batter.
  • Bake cake for 28-33 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out clean. The crumb topping in the very center of the cake will be the last thing to set; the topping will firm up as it cools.
  • Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes, then proceed with the icing.

Icing:

  • Whisk all ingredients until smooth. If necessary, add more milk to thin or more powdered sugar to thicken. Using a toothpick, poke holes all over the top of the cake (I poke about 20 holes). Drizzle the icing over the cake. Serve warm.

Notes

*To properly measure flour, spoon flour into measuring cup and level it off.
Don't have buttermilk? Try one of these buttermilk substitutes.
Serving and storage: Serve warm or at room temperature. Store, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Recipe updated December 2023. Original recipe can be found HERE. 

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 413IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg