Gingerbread Coffee Cake: The Ultimate Holiday Breakfast

Waking up in a panic at six on a random Tuesday morning, having forgotten groceries for the school bake sale, is exactly what led to this gingerbread coffee cake. Molasses ended up in the hair before the sun even fully rose, and the kitchen looked like a flour bomb went off.

Boxed mixes usually handle morning emergencies, but this gingerbread coffee cake recipe saved both reputation and sanity that day. The warm spice smell alone pulled kids out of bed without a single yell required. Here is exactly how I do it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The ratio. A thick crumb topping basically acts as half the cake, which counts as the only correct ratio.
• Double duty. This doubles as breakfast and dessert, meaning it can be eaten twice in one day without judgment.
• Kid-approved. Warm spices make the house smell like a holiday candle, but better because it can actually be eaten.
• Pantry friendly. Most of these baking staples already hide in the back of the cupboard.

Tools You’ll Need

Nothing fancy, I promise.

• stand mixer – Or a hand mixer. Or just a really strong arm and a whisk if you want to skip the gym today.
• 8×8-inch baking dish. Metal or glass both work, lined with parchment for easy removal.
• Medium bowls. A couple of these handle the topping and batter separately.

Ingredients

For the Crumb Topping

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted – Melted butter is what makes this a true gingerbread streusel cake instead of a dry dusty mess.
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar – For that necessary crunch.
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed – Adds moisture.
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon – Warmth!
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt – Do not skip this, it balances the sugar.
• 1 3/4 cups cake flour – Cake flour keeps the crumble tender. If you do not have it, you can make a substitute at home using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.

For the Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour – The structural integrity of our spiced gingerbread coffee cake.
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed – More moisture.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda – For lift.
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder – Also for lift.
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt – Enhances the flavors.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger – The star of the show.
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – Supporting actor.
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves – A little goes a long way.
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg – Freshly grated if you are fancy, out of the jar if you are me.
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed – Keep it cold so it cuts into the flour properly.
• 1 large egg, room temperature – If you forgot to take it out, put it in a bowl of warm water for five minutes.
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce – The secret weapon for moisture without heavy oil.
• 1/2 cup molasses – The sticky, dark magic that makes this a true christmas gingerbread coffee cake.
• 1/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature – Tangy goodness for a tender crumb.
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup – Please use the real stuff, not the fake pancake syrup.

How To Make Gingerbread Coffee Cake

Do not let the long ingredient list scare you away; most of the work is just dumping things into a bowl.

1. Prep the pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, allowing the paper to overhang the sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. If you skip the parchment paper overhang, getting the first slice out will be a crumbly, messy tragedy.
2. Start the topping: To a medium bowl, add butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine. It will look a bit grainy, which is totally normal.
3. Finish the topping: Add the cake flour and stir until the mixture is completely combined. Be careful not to overmix. Set aside. If you overmix, you get a solid brick of dough instead of crumbles, so step away from the bowl once it comes together.
4. Mix dry ingredients: To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Mix on low speed until combined. Your kitchen is about to smell amazing.
5. Cut in butter: Add cold cubed butter and mix on medium-low speed until the butter is broken down into small, pea-sized pieces. You can also use a pastry cutter or your hands to work in the butter. If you use your hands, work fast so your warm fingers do not melt the butter.
6. Mix wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, applesauce, molasses, buttermilk, and maple syrup until smooth. This mixture looks a little like swamp water, but trust the process.
7. Combine wet and dry: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. The batter will be slightly chunky, and that is okay. Beat for about 2 minutes, just until combined. Do not panic about the lumps; lumps are our friends here.
8. Spread the batter: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. It is thick, so you will need to coax it into the corners.
9. Add the crumb: Using your hands or a fork, break the prepared crumb topping into small pieces. Evenly distribute it over the cake batter. This is a gingerbread crumb cake, so pile those crumbs high and be generous.
10. Bake: Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. Start checking at 40 minutes because dry cake is sad cake.
11. Cool completely: Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Slicing it straight out of the oven will result in a delicious but structurally compromised pile of mush.

Make it yours

• Orange zest version. You add a teaspoon of orange zest to the batter for a bright citrus contrast against the warm spices.
• Cream cheese glaze version. You drizzle a simple cream cheese glaze over the cooled cake for extra richness.

Perfect Pairings

This gingerbread streusel cake suits two specific pairings particularly well.

• A massive mug of black coffee balances out the sweet streusel.
• A lazy Christmas morning calls for exactly this kind of impressive bake without individual pancakes.

Gingerbread Coffee Cake

This gingerbread coffee cake proves that a genuinely impressive holiday breakfast needs nothing beyond molasses, warm spices, and a generous crumb topping. This gingerbread coffee cake recipe layers a spiced, tender crumb over a moist molasses base, delivering everything a proper christmas gingerbread coffee cake should taste like. Whether served for a lazy holiday morning or sliced as an evening dessert, this gingerbread crumb cake earns a permanent spot in the seasonal baking rotation.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 9 servings

Course: Breakfast, Coffee Cake

Cuisine: American

Calories: 518

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter (melted)
• ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup (67 g) light brown sugar (packed)
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 3/4 cups (200 g) cake flour
• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter (cold, cubed)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 3/4 cup (183 g) unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup (168.5 g) molasses
• ⅓ cup (82 g) buttermilk (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Equipment

• stand mixer
• 8×8-inch baking dish
• Medium bowls

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, allowing the paper to overhang the sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. To a medium bowl, add butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
3. Add the cake flour and stir until the mixture is completely combined. Be careful not to overmix. Set aside.
4. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Mix on low speed until combined.
5. Add cold cubed butter and mix on medium-low speed until the butter is broken down into small, pea-sized pieces. You can also use a pastry cutter or your hands to work in the butter.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, applesauce, molasses, buttermilk, and maple syrup until smooth.
7. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. The batter will be slightly chunky, and that’s okay. Beat for about 2 minutes, just until combined.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
9. Using your hands or a fork, break the prepared crumb topping into small pieces. Evenly distribute it over the cake batter.
10. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
11. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving

Recipe Notes

Molasses: I always use real molasses for the signature dark flavor.
Cake flour: I use this in the topping, or a homemade substitute if needed.
Buttermilk: I use real buttermilk or a quick DIY version.
Cooling: I let the cake cool a full 20 minutes before slicing.
Storage: I keep this in an airtight container to protect the crumb topping.