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Whether you’re serving it at a family gathering or enjoying a cozy moment with a cup of tea, this cake is sure to become a seasonal favorite. It is perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas table too!
As the holiday season approaches, nothing brings warmth and cheer quite like the combination of pumpkin, ginger, walnuts and spices. If you like gingerbread cookies or anything gingerbread, you will absolutely love this! This Pumpkin Gingerbread Snacking Cake is moist, aromatic, and crowned with a luscious toffee sauce that soaks into every bite. This single-layer cake requires no fancy preparation or decoration, other than a very simple and easy toffee sauce. You can bake in a small batch or double the recipe to make more for your holiday get-together (you won’t regret it).
Why we love this!
1. Moist and Tender: The pumpkin puree and oil keep the cake irresistibly moist, while the spices and ginger add layers of warmth.
2. Aromatic and Flavorful: From the earthy molasses to the fragrant cinnamon and cloves, every ingredient sings in harmony.
3. Easy amazing toffee glaze: The toffee glaze is the crown jewel, turning a simple snacking cake into a decadent dessert.
4. Easy to Make: With just a few pantry staples and a single mixing bowl, this cake is as simple as it is satisfying.
Don’t skip the toffee sauce please!
At first I was going to say the toffee sauce is optional! Seriously, the cake is great on its own, but by soaking the cake with some of the toffee sauce, oh boy, it’s truly elevate this simple cake to another level! For those who worry about it being overly rich, rest assured: the glaze complements rather than overwhelms the spiced cake. In fact, a drizzle of extra glaze on the side takes the experience to a whole new level.
Pumpkin Gingerbread Snacking Cake
Ingredients
- 213 g pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 Tbsp grated ginger
- 43 g molasses
- 100 g granulated sugar
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
- 75 g oil
- 100 g eggs (room temperature) from 2 large eggs
Dry ingredients:
- 169 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅛ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 90 g roasted unsalted walnuts roughly chopped
Toffee sauce:
- 70 g unsalted butter
- 110 g light brown sugar
- 120 g heavy cream at room temperature
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Oil a 8 x 8 inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper overhanging on the sides. If you want to double the recipe, use a 9 x 13 inch pan instead
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F (165 C) for convection oven
Prepare the cake batter:
- Combine all the dry ingredients, except for the walnuts, in a mixing bowl and set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, grated ginger, molasses, sugar, vanilla extract, and oil. Whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds or so.
- Add the eggs and whisk again until the whole mixture is emulsified.
- The oil shouldn't separate anymore after this
- Add the dry ingredients and walnuts and use a spatula to fold the ingredients.
- Do not overmix, but you also want to make sure the dry and the wet ingredients are folded together and you shouldn't see any traces of flour
- Scrape the cake batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top to make sure the cake is level
Bake:
- Place the pan on the middle rack in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean
Prepare the toffee sauce:
- While the cake is baking, prepare the toffee sauce. Combine butter, brown sugar, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook until the mixture thickened slightly, about 3 minutes
- Remove the saucepan from the stove and slowly stream in the heavy cream. It may sputter a bit.
- Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth.
- Put it back on the stove and cook again over medium-high heat until the toffee is thickened, another 3 minutes. Remove from the stove and stir in the salt. Set aside
Pour the sauce over the cake:
- Remove the cake from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Use a skewer or a toothpick to poke deep holes all over the surface of the hot cake.
- Pour 1/2 cup of the warm toffee sauce over the entire surface of the cake.
- Let the cake sit until it absorbs some of the toffee sauce. The sauce will hardened slightly as it cools down
Serve:
- This cake is best served warm. Cut the cake into 9 servings, 3 x 3 grid (or 12 if you want smaller pieces)
- Place one piece on a serving plate. Pour the warm toffee sauce over the cake and serve
RECOMMEDED TOOLS
Marv’s Recipe Notes
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Tips for success
1. Use Fresh Ginger: Grating fresh ginger gives the cake a bright, zingy flavor that complements the spices beautifully.
2. Don’t Skip the Holes: Poking holes in the cake allows the toffee glaze to permeate, making the cake incredibly moist and flavorful.
3. Serve Warm: While the cake is delightful at room temperature, serving it slightly warm enhances the experience, especially with the extra toffee glaze on the side.
How to store and reheat leftovers
1. Once the cake has cooled down completely in the pan, cover it with a cling wrap and they can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days. The toffee sauce can be kept in an air-tight container and stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
2. Reheat in a preheated oven at 300 F (150 C) for about 5-7 minutes. The toffee will be glossy again
3. The toffee sauce will thicken considerably. Simply reheat in a microwave for a few seconds until it’s fluid again. You can reheat in a saucepan too
