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The malty tang of stout mingles with robust molasses in this unmistakably bold and scaled-up holiday dessert, a gingerbread stout Bundt cake. This spectacular gingerbread Bundt cake is certain to steal the show when made the centerpiece of your table! Top it with either a sweet stout glaze, an orange and beer caramel glaze, or a simple dusting of powdered sugar and sugared cranberries and enjoy.
Serve as a dessert with other Christmas treats, like angel wing cookies and apricot walnut rugelach.
Quick Look: Gingerbread Stout Bundt Cake Recipe
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook Time: 50 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 12
- 🌽 Cuisine & Heritage: American
- 🍽️ Calories: 569 calories per serving (more nutritional info in recipe card)
- 🥦 Dietary Info: Vegetarian (can be made Gluten Free or Dairy Free)
- 🟢 Difficulty: Easy to Medium
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Oven Baked
- 🍰 Flavor Profile:
- 🔑 Top Tip: Grease the Bundt pan with butter and a pastry brush, not non-stick cooking spray.
- 🍷 Drink Pairings: For a gingerbread dessert with complex, far-reaching flavors, pair it with a Gewürztraminer or late-harvest Riesling, a boldly spiced red like a Marsannay or Canon-Fronsac, or keep it classic with an Americano coffee brightened by a splash of Grand Marnier or Cognac.
- ❄️ Storage: Wrap the cake in plastic and let it sit at room temperature or in the fridge for 3-5 days. Alternatively, freeze it for up to 1 month.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Rich Flavor that Packs a Punch: The blend of robust molasses and malty stout gives this Bundt cake a rich depth you won’t find in run-of-the-mill gingerbreads.
- Moist, Tender Texture: Thanks to molasses, oil (not too much butter), and stout, the cake stays moist and doesn’t dry out. It’s perfect for baking a day ahead, wrapping, and letting those flavors mature until serving.
- Easy to Make: Whether you’re a beginner baker or a seasoned baker, this cake will be easy for you to make.
- Perfect Holiday Centerpiece: This beautiful Bundt cake is the perfect holiday centerpiece; it’s the kind of dessert that looks as good as it tastes.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“This sounds yummy! I will try your way of buttering the pan, good idea about putting in the frig!”
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Curious what ingredients you need to make this gingerbread stout Bundt cake? Grab these key ingredients, along with a few others, and you’ll be ready to bake this easy Christmas dessert!
- Stout Beer: Using a strong stout beer, such as Guinness, in this recipe enhances the flavor and adds a wonderfully unique flavor to what would otherwise be a more ordinary gingerbread cake.
- Cocoa Powder: This adds a richness to the cake that pairs perfectly with the stout as well as adding a deeper color to the gingerbread.
- Spices: Adding a mixture of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt will add a wonderful gingerbread flavor to this cake.
- Decorations: Depending upon which topping you would like to use, you’ll need different ingredients. Choose from making either a stout glaze, a beer caramel glaze, or a simple topping of powdered sugar and sugared cranberries.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Only have a 10-cup Bundt pan? Consider baking a single small mini loaf of this cake in addition to the cake itself. Spread 3 cups of batter in a 6¼” x 2⅛” x 2″ disposable paper loaf pan and bake it alongside the cake. Begin testing for doneness after 20 minutes by inserting a cake tester or wooden pick into the center of the cake loaf. The tester should pull clean or with minimal moist crumbs. The mini loaf will be just as full of gingerbread flavor and makes a nice gift for a friend or neighbor to hasten that holiday spirit!
How to Make Gingerbread Stout Bundt Cake
Scroll down for the full printable recipe or stick around for the step-by-step breakdown with photos to walk you through every delicious detail.
1
Prepare a Bundt Pan
Before beginning, I recommend pouring out and measuring the stout. You will need the foam to subside before you are able to incorporate into the batter. You will need 1 cup for the batter and if making the optional stout glaze, an additional 3 tablespoons.
Melt ¼ cup of unsalted butter in a small saucepan. Allow the butter to first foam, then the solids to begin to brown slightly, about 4 to 6 minutes.
Cool the butter slightly before using a pastry brush to carefully “paint” the butter into every nook and cranny of a 12-cup Bundt pan. Set the Bundt into the refrigerator while you make the cake batter, as the temperature will solidify the butter keeping it exactly where you brushed it.
2
Make the Cake Batter
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and sea salt. Whisk together until combined. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs whisking until just incorporated. Scrape the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the molasses and mix on medium-low speed for 1 minute. Add the stout and mix on low for 2 minutes. Mixing at a higher speed will cause the stout to foam.
Add the previously mixed flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix until just combined, paying special attention not to overmix.
3
Bake the Bundt Cake
Remove the prepared Bundt pan from refrigeration and set it on the counter to come back to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Pour batter into the pan. Give it a shimmy and a shake to ensure the batter settles into all of the crevices, especially if you are using a particularly festive cake form that has lots of detailed ridges.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake pulls clean or with only minimal moist crumbs clinging to it. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack for 10 minutes before performing a cake release atop the cooling rack by inverting the rack and the pan.
4
Glaze, Serve, & Enjoy
Allow the cake to cool completely, at least 3 hours. If making ahead, place the cooled cake on a cake platter and wrap the cake closely with plastic film.
When ready to glaze, select from the above glazes or choose one of your own. If you prefer to omit glaze and garnish instead with sugared cranberries, simply dust the cake with powdered sugar right before serving. The methods for each glaze as well as the sugared cranberries are in the notes.
Recipe FAQs
Ginger cake typically has a lighter color and its main flavor is ginger, while gingerbread cake has a richer flavor profile, often including cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and molasses for a more robust flavor.
A stout cake owes its deep, luxurious flavor to the beer itself, which adds malty richness, subtle bitterness, and notes of chocolate and coffee that enhance the cocoa and warm spices in the batter.
Definitely gingerbread with stout as a finishing flavor. The stout is discernable because it tends to carry a bitter note. Glazing with something sweet which also pairs with gingerbread will force the stout to merely a background flavor.
The key to a moist gingerbread cake is using a combination of liquid sweeteners (like molasses), oil, and buttermilk or sour cream, which keep the crumb tender while baking. Also, being careful not to overbake the cake ensures that it doesn’t dry out.
Yes, you can definitely bake this gingerbread cake in a different pan! Since cake pans vary however, you will need to pay close attention to testing for doneness as bake times will vary also. For example, baking in a sheet pan versus a tube pan. Regardless of what type of pan you use, begin testing for doneness between 20 and 30 minutes and gauge from there. If you are not a seasoned baker, I do recommend sticking with a 12-cup Bundt pan.
Serving Suggestions
Depending on the options in terms of glazes, maybe you want to keep things simple. I prefer to skip the glaze and serve with sugared cranberries and a basic French vanilla ice cream.
Want to make a trifle? Try layering it with rum raisin ice cream among the layers; it’s downright incredible! Garnish with sugared cranberries and chocolate curls.
Looking for other Bundt cake recipes? Check out my recipes for delicious cinnamon Bundt studded with pecans, a fabulous fall pumpkin Bundt, this rum coconut pecan Bundt, or a more traditional cranberry orange Bundt.
Expert Tips
- Given stout is the primary flavor profile in this cake, pair it with a complimentary flavored glaze. Drizzle with homemade chocolate stout sauce, a basic vanilla glaze, a seasonally appropriate maple glaze, or other simple glaze of your choice.
- Bake this cake in whatever shape 12-cup Bundt cake pan you choose. The prepared Bundt pan I am using today is from Nordic Ware.
- Grease the pan with softened or melted butter and a pastry brush. Baking or cooking spray can and will damage non-stick surfaces and others by leaving a film that adheres to the pans surface and is next to impossible to remove with soap and water. The residue becomes tacky enough to where the cake will actually stick to the pan.
Other Christmas Bundt Cake Recipes
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Gingerbread Stout Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 12-cup capacity Bundt cake pan
- stand mixer or electric handheld mixer
- small mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Stout Bundt Cake
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup stout, poured, measured, and allowed to stand for 20 to 30 minutes
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1½ cups brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup molasses
For the Stout Glaze (Option 1)
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2-3 tablespoons stout, poured, measured, and allowed to stand for 20-30 minutes
For the Beer Caramel Glaze (Option 2)
- 1 12-ounce bottle regular beer, not stout
- 6 whole cardamom pods
- orange zest strips, from 1 small orange
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ cups dark or light brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- fine sea salt
For the Sugared Cranberries (Optional)
- 1 12-ounce bag fresh whole cranberries
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar, plus more to coat as needed
Instructions
Making the Gingerbread Stout Bundt Cake
- Pour and measure stout and allow to stand 30 minutes for the foam to subside before incorporating into the batter.
- Melt ¼ cup of unsalted butter in a small saucepan. Allow the butter to first foam, then the solids to begin to brown slightly, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cool the butter slightly. Use a pastry brush to paint butter into every nook and cranny of a 12-cup Bundt pan. Place Bundt into refrigerator, as temperature will solidify the butter exactly where you brushed it.
- In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and sea salt. Whisk together until combined. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs whisking until just incorporated. Scrape the wet ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the molasses and mix on medium-low speed for 1 minute. Add the stout and mix on low for 2 minutes. Keep the speed on low, as mixing on a higher speed will cause the stout to foam.
- Add the previously mixed flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix until just combined paying special attention not to over mix.
- Remove prepared Bundt pan from refrigeration and set it on the counter to come back to room temperature slightly. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Pour batter into the pan. Give it a shimmy and a shake to ensure the batter settles into all of the crevices, especially if you are using a cake form that has lots of detailed ridges.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake pulls clean or with only minimal moist crumbs clinging to it. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack for 10 minutes before performing a cake release atop the cooling rack by inverting the rack and the pan. Allow the cake to cool completely, at least 3 hours. (If making ahead, place the cooled cake on a cake platter and wrap the cake closely with plastic film. The longer the cake sits wrapped, the more the flavors intensify.)
- When ready to glaze, select from the glazes below or choose one of your own. If you prefer to omit glaze and garnish instead with sugared cranberries, simply dust the cake with powdered sugar right before serving.
Glaze Option 1: Stout Glaze
- Pour and measure stout and allow to stand 30 minutes to allow for foam to subside.
- Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Add the ground cinnamon and cloves. Whisk in the stout until the mixture reaches a fine and smooth consistency. Slowly drizzle the glaze over the Bundt and allow a few minutes for the drizzle to 'set.'
Glaze Option 2: Beer Caramel Glaze
- Pour the beer into a saucepan and allow to stand for 30 minutes before heating to allow for foam to subside.
- Add the cardamom pods, and zested strips of orange peel to the saucepan with the beer. Bring all to a gentle boil over medium heat cooking and stirring until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. The mixture should be viscous enough to where it barely coats the back of a spoon.
- Add the butter and brown sugar and cook, stirring only if the mixture looks like it might boil over, until syrupy, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until thick, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in vanilla and sea salt. Remove the cardamom and orange zest with a spoon. Let the caramel cool slightly before slowly drizzling over the top of the cake.
Making the Sugared Cranberries
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Thoroughly wash cranberries under cold water removing all bruised/damaged berries. Shake excess water off and load the berries into a plastic bag. Add enough confectioners' sugar beginning with ½ cup to thoroughly coat the berries when shaken. Add additional confectioners' sugar as needed.
- Turn the sugared cranberries out onto the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and set directly atop a wire rack. Allow cranberries to cool completely on the sheet. Garnish edges and base of Bundt cake.
Notes
- If you only have a 10-cup Bundt pan, consider baking a single small mini loaf of this cake in addition to the cake itself. Remove 3 cups of batter to a 6¼” x 2⅛” x 2″ disposable paper loaf pan and bake it alongside the cake. Begin testing for doneness after 20 minutes by inserting a cake tester or wooden pick into the center of the cake loaf. The tester should pull clean or with minimal moist crumbs.
- Gingerbread intensifies over time. Fresh out of the oven and cooled slightly, it’s light and cakey. I recommend doing things differently. Bake this delicious cake one full day ahead of serving, cool it completely, then wrap it close with plastic wrap. The crumb becomes delightfully moist, and it’s flavorfully impressive!
- Store leftover cake under plastic wrap or in an airtight container on the counter if using the stout glaze or powdered sugar topping. If using the beer caramel glaze, cover and refrigerate.
- Store excess sugared cranberries in an airtight container at room temperature up 3 days. Or set them out in a pretty serving bowl like candy and watch them disappear.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This sounds yummy! I will try your way of buttering the pan, good idea about putting in the frig! In the past, I have used Homemade Pan Release, a combination of flour, shortening, and oil in my bundt pan and have never had an issue of not being able to clean the pan AND the cakes almost fall out! Maybe there is other stuff in the commercial kind?
Barbara, lovely to get this from you about the gingerbread! Please DO try it and let me know how you enjoy it! I was unaware of the non-stick spray faux pas until it was pointed out to me that a cake I first baked for Not Entirely Average showed ‘pits’ or pitting in the final bake, a direct result of the spray. It was so evident in all of my photos! I Googled it and sure enough, it’s a thing! Again, please let me know how you enjoy, and SEND PICTURES! x – Jenny