Chocolate Gingerbread Cake — An EASY, no mixer cake that’s perfect for the holidays!! Chocolate and ginger are amazing together! The GINGER spiced whipped cream is the literal icing on this cake!!
Easy Gingerbread Cake Recipe
I’m a huge gingerbread fan and when there’s chocolate and toffee involved as well, I am all about it.
If you’ve never tried the gingerbread-chocolate combination, it’s fabulous and you should give it a whirl. Chocolate complements the gingerbread flavors nicely yet doesn’t mask them.
The cake is an easy, no mixer recipe that’s nicely spiced and flavored with ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and molasses to give it classic gingerbread flavor — and of course chocolate.
What’s in Chocolate Gingerbread Cake?
To make this easy gingerbread dessert, you’ll need:
- Eggs
- Sour cream
- Oil
- Vanilla extract
- Ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- All-purpose flour
- Hot water
- Molasses
- Baking soda
And to make the frosting for the gingerbread cake, you’ll need:
- Whipped topping
- Ground ginger
- Toffee bits
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
How to Make Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
To make the cake, I began by lining my 9×13-inch pan with Reynolds Wrap Non-Stick Aluminum Foil, which is a product that I use almost every single day. For every single batch of brownies, pan of bars, tray of roasted vegetables, foil pack grill recipe, or single-layer cake that I make, I use this foil. It’s super strong, doesn’t rip or tear easily, and the non-stick aspect is a life-saver.
Reynolds Wrap offers Non-Stick Aluminum Foil as a convenient, no-mess cooking and storage solution. To differentiate between the two sides of the foil, there’s an imprint that reads “NON-STICK Side” on the matte, or flat-finish, side.
They created Reynolds Wrap Non-Stick Aluminum Foil using a specific food-safe coating that makes it easy to line, cover, and wrap your dishes without the added hassle of cleanup. With all the holiday entertaining and baking I do, the easier that cleanup is, the happier I am. Just tossing away a sheet of foil is music to my ears.
In the final steps of making the cake batter, you mix together a cup of hot water, molasses, and baking soda. I know it may seem strange and wrong to basically pour hot water into the batter, but it reminds me of this Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Cake and it totally works. The batter will look thin and on the runny side but don’t worry because the cake bakes up just fine.
To really hammer the ginger flavor home in this gingerbread cake, the whipped cream, or in my case whipped topping, is spiced with ginger. I used a teaspoon of ground ginger and it’s nicely spiced but reduce if you’re sensitive to ginger.
The crunchy toffee bits and mini chocolate chips are a perfect texture contrast to the smooth, gingery whipped topping and the soft cake.
How to Store This Cake
Gingerbread cake will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Tips for Making the Best Gingerbread Cake
When measuring out the molasses, I recommend spraying your measuring cup with a little cooking spray first. This way, the molasses doesn’t stick to it and slides out easily.
I think the cake is perfectly spiced as is, but you’re welcome to adjust the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to suit your tastes.
I used whipped topping rather than whipped cream because it’s it stands up much better in the fridge over a period of days and of course it’s easier. However, if you can’t find whipped topping where you live you’re welcome to use homemade whipped cream instead.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Chocolate Gingerbread Toffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 large eggs
- 8 ounces sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup hot water
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Topping
- one 8-ounce container whipped topping, thawed (I used fat free; alternatively make your own whipped cream using heavy cream and confectioners' sugar)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste
- ½ cup toffee bits
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9x13-inch baking pan with Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Aluminum Foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- To a large bowl, add the eggs, sour cream, brown sugar, oil, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, salt, nutmeg, and whisk to combine; set aside.
- To a separate medium microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and heat on high power to melt, stopping every 20 seconds to check and stir until mixture can be stirred smooth.
- Wait a minute or two before adding the chocolate to the large bowl because you don't want to scramble the eggs. Whisk to combine.
- Add half the flour and stir to combine; set aside.
- To a glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, add the water and heat for 1 minute to heat it; don't boil it just heat it well.
- To the water, add the molasses (tip - spray your measuring cup with cooking spray before adding it so it doesn't stick), baking soda, and stir to combine; it will bubble up.
- Add the molasses-water mixture to the large bowl of cake batter and stir to combine.
- Add the remaining half of the flour and stir to combine. Batter is thin, bubbly, and a bit lumpy looking; this is okay. Turn batter out into prepared pan (the pan will be very full which is okay because cake doesn't rise a ton) and bake for about 48 to 56 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Check early and often since all ovens, climates, pans, etc. vary and baking time can vary.
- Allow cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
For the Topping:
- Open the container of whipped topping, add the ginger, and fold to combine; don't overmix because the whipped topping tends to deflate. Turn whipped topping out and spread evenly over the cake.
- Evenly sprinkles with the toffee bits and mini chocolate chips before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Gingerbread Desserts:
Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Molasses Chocolate Chip Bars – Rich, chocolaty, and like eating a piece of molasses fudge!
Gingerbread Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting — Gingerbread bars are so much faster and easier than making gingerbread cookies! The sprinkles and tangy cream cheese frosting will put everyone in a festive mood!
Iced Gingerbread Bars – Soft, chewy bars that are full of rich gingery molasses flavor! Way faster and easier than rolling out gingerbread cookies! No mixer, no fuss, and the sweet icing seals the deal!
Soft and Chewy Molasses Gingerdoodles – 3 favorites combined! Soft molasses cookies, chewy gingerbread and crinkly snickerdoodles! So good!!
Gingerbread Two Ways: Truffles and Popcorn – Two EASY NO-BAKE gingerbread-inspired recipes that are perfect for the holidays!! They make great gifts, and who can say no to silky smooth gingerbread truffles or salty-and-sweet popcorn!!
Soft and Fluffy Gingerbread Pancakes with Ginger Molasses Maple Syrup – Pancakes that taste like gingerbread cookies!
Post is brought to you by Reynolds. The recipe, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own.
As soon as my leg can be walked on, I am going to be baking lots of these special cakes for my family for the holidays!!! Thank you for posting thee awesome recipes.
Thank You so very much……Your New Girl, Jo Peters.
Happy baking and hope your leg heals soon!
Seems that the brown sugar is missing in where to put it in the directions, I’m assuming with the eggs etc
With the eggs, etc. – yes correct!
I just saw this cake on your Instagram and I am definitely craving a slice! I love love love gingerbread! The addition of toffee makes it extra delicious! Pinning.
Glad you’ve seen it a couple times today and thanks for pinning! The toffee was such a nice little crunch and great addition!
Haha, I have your gingerbread molasses chocolate chip bars waiting to be eaten up in my kitchen as I type this! The recipe sounds divine. Thinking of occasions for baking this–I KNOW it would be a hit with my family.
I know you love those ginger molasses chocolate chip bars a ton! I am so glad they have been a hit over the years with your family! And maybe this cake will be the next family favorite!
I love all that flavor in this cake. And of course your photos make my stomach growl, so good :)
Thanks! You are way too kind :)
I like chocolate covered candied ginger so this cake sounds really good to me–especially with candy and chips on top.! Sour cream cakes have such a wonderful texture too. This is a great holiday cake recipe!