Einkorn is an ancient variety of wheat with a rich flavor. Many people find it easier to digest than modern varieties, but regardless of its benefits, einkorn has a beautiful soft crumb and makes excellent quick breads and pastries. That rich flavor and soft texture make it the perfect companion for sweet, warming spices in this classic gingerbread.
In this recipe, we also use whole, unrefined sugar. Not only does it retain more minerals than white sugar, but its rich flavor gives the gingerbread a boost. Sucanat and rapadura are excellent choices, but you can also use coconut sugar if you prefer.
A favorite on our winter table, this recipe makes an old-fashioned gingerbread cake. It is deliciously moist and light, with an intense gingery flavor touched by other favorite cold-weather spices.
Einkorn's soft texture and rich flavor make it the perfect foundation for gingerbread, and a pop of candied ginger adds a pleasant surprise.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This einkorn gingerbread recipe is easy to make and rich with ginger and other sweet spices for a deep flavor.
- We use fresh ginger in this recipe, which gives the gingerbread a beautiful, vibrant note.
- Candied ginger amplifies the spicy notes in the recipe while also providing a pop of texture.
- Einkorn is an ancient grain (like nature's original wheat) with a delicious flavor, soft texture, and rich nutritional profile.
- It's easy to make ahead and take to your a winter- or holiday-themed potluck.
What's in it?
- Einkorn wheat is an ancient grain with a rich, complex flavor. It has more beta carotene, vitamins, and minerals than modern wheat and is also richer in protein. It makes excellent quick breads and pastries because of its delicate and soft texture. While it comes at a slightly extra cost, its flavor and nutritional profile more than comprise it.
- Sugar gives the gingerbread cake a little sweetness. Opt for minimally processed sugar, such as rapadura or sucanat, because they retain a high mineral content. They also have a richer and more balanced flavor.
- Ginger gives this treat its flavor. We use two varieties: fresh ginger as well as candied ginger. Grated fresh ginger is rich in aromatic compounds that lend a vibrant flavor to the gingerbread, while candied ginger gives it texture.
- Warming spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom give gingerbread depth and bring balance to ginger's flavor. You can also substitute spice mix, such as pumpkin spice, for the individual spices.
- Molasses lends both light sweetness and depth of flavor to einkorn gingerbread. Opt for light, unsulphured molasses for the best flavor. It is also a mineral-rich sweetener and is packed with iron, calcium, selenium, and other micronutrients.
- Butter and eggs add richness and support the structure of the cake. If you prefer, melted coconut oil is a good stand-in for butter in this recipe.
- Buttermilk provides the liquid component to the recipe, and it also brings acidity and helps the cake rise.
- Baking soda provides the leavening that makes the cake spring up in the oven, producing a delicate, spongy texture.
Recipe Tips
- Line your pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Even if you grease and flour your baking dish, the gingerbread may stick. Parchment paper is a good fix.
- Use the right type of molasses. Light molasses works best because it is sweeter with a softer flavor. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which tends to taste bitter.
- Einkorn flour is tricky to work with and needs less liquid and fat than regular wheat flour. Don't be alarmed if your batter seems too thick or too sticky, as this is normal for einkorn.
- Since einkorn's gluten structure is weak, you can't overmix the batter. So, you can make it by hand with a wooden spoon and a large mixing bowl, or you can toss the ingredients into your stand mixer (or even a high-speed blender), and it'll take even less time.
- Freshly ground spices will give the cake a more intense and richer flavor. Using pre-ground spices is fine, but grinding them fresh releases more essential oils into your baked goods. And that means better, bigger flavor.
- Toss the candied ginger or any other dried fruit you're using in a little flour before folding it into the batter. That way, it won't sink to the bottom of the pan while it cooks.
- Use a cooling rack. Like other cakes, gingerbread will continue to cook once it's out of the oven. A cooling rack helps it cool more evenly and prevents fogginess.
Serving Suggestions
Consider serving einkorn gingerbread during the holiday season, when the fragrant aroma of ginger and spice is welcome. We like to dust the gingerbread with a little powdered sugar, but you can also slather it with a maple-infused cream cheese frosting, too.
At the holiday table, I often partner einkorn gingerbread with winter drinks such as wassail or hot mulled cider, although a hot cup of coffee or tea works fine.
You can also serve it on a wintertime dessert tray with other favorite treats such as Maple Gingerbread Cookies, Einkorn Cookies, or even a Maple Pecan Pie.
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Variations + Substitutions
Use powdered ginger if you don't have fresh. 1 ½ teaspoons is a good starting point.
Add more spices. Allspice, coriander, and nutmeg are also delicious additions to einkorn gingerbread. If you adjust the spices, keep the total amount to about 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons), or their flavor may overpower the cake.
Add dried fruit in addition to the candied ginger. Dried apricots and golden raisins also taste delicious when you fold them into the batter. Keep any additional fruit to about ¼ cup total.
Add nuts to the batter. Walnuts are an excellent companion to ginger and other sweet spices. Folding ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter adds a pleasant texture to the cake.
If you don't have whole, unrefined cane sugar, you can substitute dark brown sugar, maple sugar, or coconut sugar.
Sorghum syrup is a delicious alternative to light molasses in this recipe. You could also substitute ¼ cup maple syrup for the molasses, but you may need to cut down on the amount of sugar in the recipe as maple syrup is much sweeter than molasses.
Use whole grain einkorn flour for a portion of the all-purpose flour in this recipe. Whole grains are delicious and give baked goods depth, but they can also make them dense. I recommend substituting no more than 1 cup of einkorn flour with whole-grain flour.
Want more? Check out our other einkorn recipes.
Recipe Questions
You can store the gingerbread in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Yes. Cool the cake completely, and then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Transfer it to a resealable plastic freezer bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Veronica Nessler says
This is one of my favorite recipes.
I sub kefir for buttermilk.
I also add powdered ginger, nutmeg & vanilla paste. Can I make this with coconut oil? Also can I convert these to muffins?
Thanks
Jenny says
I love your additions! Yes, you can use coconut oil. You can try converting them to muffins, but I don’t know if it will work. I do use the base (without sugar — just molasses) for pancakes from time to time.
Lucas says
This is fantastic!! I use all whole grain einkorn flour (240g) and it comes out great. Lemon juice + milk instead of butter milk, and grated lemon peel of 1 small lemon. My first try I used 1/2 cup of molasses and 1/4 cup of maple syrup, the second try I used all molasses. I think I like the first one a bit better, I'll try it again. I didn't use candied ginger or powdered sugar. It refrigerates and freezes very well.
Just a note, I think the egg is missing in the instructions.
I'm definitely keeping this recipe as a staple, thank you so much! It's great on its own, or broken up in yogurt too.
Vicki Bradshaw says
Could brown monk fruit be substituted for the cane sugar? Would dark molasses be a problem – it’s what I have.
Thank you
Jenny says
Hi Vicki!
You could try and let us know how it goes. However, I recommend making the recipe exactly as written.
Allison says
Delicious! Nice and dark and spicy and soft. I loved it!
Veronica Nessler says
What brand of light molasses do you use for this recipe?
Jenny says
I buy my molasses from Azure standard.
Judy Bullington says
Two of my fondest food memories from childhood that I've never been able to replicate are my grandmother's homemade apple sauce and gingerbread. Thank you for sharing a gingerbread recipe that brings my search to an end. Candied ginger wasn't available when I got the craving to make your recipe, so I replaced 1/4 of the molasses with ginger syrup. It's a perfect balance of ginger intensity and robust molasses and the zing of kefir.
Mallory says
Sitting eating a piece of this delicious gingerbread. I followed the recipe provided and didn’t make any changes.
I topped it with unsweetened whipped cream. Next round, I’d sweeten the cream a tiny bit and add maybe some vanilla paste.
The texture and flavor of this is just beautiful.
Jenny McGruther says
I'm SO happy you like this! It's a favorite in our house.
JH says
Excellent recipe. My first time trying einkorn flour, rapidura sugar and cooking with my kefir. Thank you for this beautiful recipe, it is an absolute keeper. The changes I made were kefir instead of buttermilk, added .5 tsp of vanilla paste, didn’t have cardamom which isn’t my favorite so subbed nutmeg, reduced the molasses to .5 cup since I am not overly keen on strong molasses flavor and added golden raisins & walnuts since I didn’t have candied ginger (trying to use what I have rather than going to store for special ingredients). Mine baked to perfection in about 27 minutes but I think my oven runs hot plus I used a new heavy baking pan. Excellent! PS the beaten egg instruction is missing
Veronica Nessler says
Can I use all purpose flour for the all
purpose einkorn flour?
Jenny says
Hi Veronica!
You will likely need to increase the liquid/fat by about 15-20% in order to achieve the same effects.
Tarryn says
This is the BEST gingerbread. I've just started using einkorn and nothing was coming out quite right. But I guess I should have been using actual recipes instead of guessing. lol.
Carol Ann says
Hello! - This sounds delicious! Can plain milk be substituted for buttermilk?
Thanks 🙂
Jenny McGruther says
No, the acidity in the buttermilk is important for helping the gingerbread to rise. You can substitute kefir or yogurt, though.
Em says
This recipe is insanely delicious!! I made it quickly tonight never having made it before. I used jovial ap einkorn flour. And served it with cream and strained skyr mixed with maple syrup and vanilla dispensed from a whipped cream dispenser. It was so moist and rose beautifully. Best cake I've eaten I think!
I do confess, I reduced the sugar a lot. We just aren't used to eating sweet stuff, we just want lightly sweet. Basically I left the sugar out of the flour mixture, and reduced the molasses to 1/4 cup! Because molasses is liquidy, I added 1/2 cup of whole milk to the liquids to try to compensate. It did cause it to cook longer but the cake is so perfect I would do that again.