Name: Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake with Figs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup molasses; 1/2 cup ripe mashed banana (about 1 medium); 4 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted); 1 cup almond flour; 1/3 cup gluten free oats; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp ginger; 1 tsp nutmeg; 1/4 tsp cloves; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 cup dried figs (finely chopped); 1 large fresh fig (sliced thin); 1 tsp candied ginger (finely minced)

The Making of an Amazing Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake

Sad childhood confession: I never really grew up with gingerbread cake at the holidays, nevermind gluten free gingerbread cake.Growing up, my mom wasn’t much of a baker. Actually, she wasn’t much of anything in the kitchen, but she has other fantastic attributes so we can forgive her for that. Anyway, what she did do really well was make a mean banana loaf. No chocolate, no nuts, just so many sweet bananas that it was so moist it nearly fell apart. That’s how you know you’ve got a killer banana bread.

With the giving season upon us, this month’s Recipe Redux was all about creative quick breads. I wanted to come up with a loaf cake that had that same moist, sweet flavour as my beloved banana, but with a bit of a holiday edge. Of course, I was thinking about gluten free gingerbread cake.

Immediately my mind went to the classic Christmas carol lyric, “now bring us a figgy pudding and bring it here now!” Pretty bossy, if you ask me, but I guess when I need dessert, I need it.

Anyway, I never knew for sure what a figgy pudding was, but I imagined it would be sticky (like toffee pudding), packed with holiday spices, sweet, and have some figs in it, obviously. OMG that plus gingerbread AND gluten free? Sticky Figgy Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake.

So this gluten free gingerbread cake recipe really brings all of that together AND makes it gluten free, dairy free and better for you. I used a ripe banana to replace some of the sugar, a combination of almond flour and oats in place of the refined stuff, coconut oil instead of butter, and lots of baking spices. The result is a loaf cake so moist, so flavourful, so addictive, you may second guess your idea of gifting these to friends and family.

My advice? Make two batches of gluten free gingerbread cake – one for you to enjoy, and another to wrap up as a delicious and healthy holiday treat. It stays surprisingly moist for several days, so I wouldn’t worry too much about making it ahead and not getting it to your loved ones right away.