Gingerbread Coffee Cake Recipe: Moist, Spiced, and Ridiculously Easy

Gingerbread coffee cake is exactly what your kitchen needs when the air turns crisp and you’re craving something warm, spiced, and utterly comforting.

I’ve made this cake at least a dozen times, and I’m telling you—it’s the kind of recipe that makes people think you’re a far better baker than you actually are.

The molasses gives it that deep, almost mysterious sweetness. The crumb topping? Absolutely essential. Crunchy, buttery, with just enough cinnamon to make you close your eyes when you take that first bite.

No fancy techniques here. No temperamental ingredients. Just straightforward baking that delivers every single time.

KEY INFO

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 9-12 servings
Difficulty Level: Easy
Dietary Tags: Vegetarian

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• Two mixing bowls (one medium, one large)
• 8×8-inch or 9×13-inch baking dish
• Parchment paper
• Offset spatula (or the back of a spoon works fine)
• Toothpick for testing doneness
• Wire cooling rack

Simple alternatives: Skip the electric mixer and use a wooden spoon and some elbow grease. Use a fork instead of a pastry cutter for the crumb topping.

INGREDIENTS

For the Crumb Topping

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (113g)
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar (67g)
• ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed (67g)
• 1¾ cups cake flour (200g / 7 oz) (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, but I highly recommend)

For the Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g / 8.5 oz)
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed (150g)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup molasses (168g) (not blackstrap—too bitter)
• ¼ cup maple syrup (82g) (or honey)
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (240g) (see substitution below)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Substitutions:

• No buttermilk? Mix 1 cup regular milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Swap maple syrup for honey or additional molasses if that’s what you have.
• Use sour cream instead of buttermilk for an even more tender crumb.

METHOD

Make the Crumb Topping First

1. Melt your butter and let it cool completely—this is crucial or you’ll end up with a greasy mess instead of crumbly goodness.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the cooled melted butter, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt until combined.

3. Add the cake flour and stir until the mixture looks like coarse, chunky crumbs.

Don’t overwork it. You want texture, not paste.

4. Toss in the nuts if you’re using them.

5. Stick the whole bowl in the fridge while you make the cake batter.

Prepare the Cake

6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Line your baking dish with parchment paper and give it a light spray with nonstick spray.

7. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.

Set this aside.

8. In your mixer bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until it’s light, fluffy, and pale.

This step matters. It adds air and makes your cake tender.

9. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

10. Pour in the molasses, maple syrup, and vanilla.

Beat until everything is smooth and well combined. The batter will look dark and glossy—that’s exactly what you want.

11. Now comes the alternating method.

With your mixer on low speed, add one-third of the flour mixture.

Mix just until combined.

12. Add half of the buttermilk.

Mix again, just until incorporated.

13. Repeat: flour, buttermilk, then finish with the remaining flour.

Here’s the critical part: Stop mixing as soon as you don’t see dry flour anymore.

Overmixing makes dense, tough cake. Nobody wants that.

14. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.

Add the Topping and Bake

15. Take your chilled crumb topping out of the fridge.

Break it into small, irregular pieces with your fingers or a fork.

16. Scatter the crumbs evenly over the entire surface of the batter.

Don’t leave any bald spots.

17. Slide the pan into your preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes.

Visual cues for doneness:

• The crumb topping should be deep golden brown
• A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter
• The cake should spring back slightly when you gently press the center

For a 9×13-inch pan, you might need the full 50-55 minutes.

18. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

I know it’s tempting, but if you cut into it too early, it’ll fall apart.

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