Easy German Gingerbread Cake (Gewürzkuchen)

This spiced and moist German gingerbread cake is a variation of the classic Lebkuchen cookies. A traditional Lebkuchen cake, that is quick and easy to put together is a family holiday classic for Christmas.

What is German Gingerbread Cake?

This gingerbread cake is often called Gewürzkuchen in German. Gewürz is the German word for "spices". You pronounce Gewürzkuchen as GE-WOR-TS-COOK-EN.

Another name for this cake is Lebkuchen cake. Lebkuchen is the German word for gingerbread and it appears in a range of different cakes and cookies in Germany. The characteristic of these cakes is that they are flavoured with a strong spice mixture, called Lebkuchengewürz.

This Lebkuchen cake is made of simple sponge dough, flavoured with a Lebkuchen spice mix, topped with a thin layer of chocolate. The Lebkuchen spice mixes contain cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, coriander, cardamom, ginger, anise and allspice. See here my recipe for homemade Lebkuchen spice.

This German spice cake is typically eaten in winter around Christmas time. It is a lot more moister than the typical German Lebkuchen and has a lighter texture. It is a simple chocolate gingerbread cake that is not overly sweet but full of flavour.

How to make it

Ingredients:

• 4 medium eggs
• 230 g caster sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (affiliate link)
• 150 g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 350 g flour (Germany type 405, UK Plain flour, USA Pastry Flour)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder (affiliate link)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 30 g unsweetened cocoa (affiliate link)
• 250 ml milk
• 150 g ground almonds (affiliate link)
• 4 teaspoons gingerbread spice. For the most authentic flavour I recommend our homemade lebkuchen spice

For the glaze and decoration

• 150 g dark chocolate glaze
• 50 g whole almonds

Recipe Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C or 356°F top to bottom heat.
2. Line a baking tray (30 x 40 cm / 12 x 17 inches) (affiliate link) with baking parchment and grease the edges with butter.
3. Using a handmixer or stand mixer combine the eggs with the sugar, vanilla sugar, butter and mix until creamy. (This should take about 5 minutes)
4. Combine the flour, baking powder (affiliate link) and cocoa in a bowl. Using a flour sieve, sieve the flour mixture into the dough. This will make your gingerbread cake light and fluffy, as it adds air to the dough. Pour in the milk and add the salt, lebkuchen spice / gingerbread spice and ground almonds (affiliate link). Mix until you achieve a smooth dough.

1. Pour or spread the dough with a pallet knife into the prepared baking tray. Bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes. The exact baking time varies by oven. To check if the dough is done, use a stewer to prick the cake in the middle. If it comes out clean, it is done.
2. Leave to cool completely before decorating.
3. In the meantime, place a some water (500 ml/ 16 fl oz) in a saucepan and add the raw almonds. Bring the water to boil and cook the almonds for around 2 minutes before removing them with a sieve. Rinse in cold water. The skin of the almonds should now simply slip off.
4. Melt the dark chocolate glaze in a water bath. Pour the melted chocolate over the cooled cake, and spread evenly with a pallet knife.
5. Before the glaze hardens, place the almonds in an X formation on the dark chocolate (see image). Leave to cool. Once the cake is cooled you can slice the cakes into rectangles or squares.

Recipe Variations

• Instead of baking this cake in a sheet try, you can use a loaf form. You will need to bake the cake for longer, approx an hour.
• Replace the ground almonds (affiliate link) with ground hazelnuts (affiliate link) if you wish
• To make the cake extra chocolaty, you can add 100 g of dark chocolate drops into the dough.
• Instead of the dark chocolate glaze you can also prepare a lebkuchen icing. Here you used 150 g icing /confectioners sugar (sieved), 1 teaspoon Lebkuchen spice and 5 tablespoons of milk. Mix together and you will get a lovely white glaze.
• Decorate the cake with festive sugar sprinkles instead of the almonds. The almonds are the more traditional way of decorating them.

How to serve

This cake is served in Germany in the afternoon with a cup of tea or coffee and orange juice for the children. I have seen some people have whipped cream to go with the cake, but this is just optional.

Storage Instructions

This cake will stay good for up to three days. Store in the fridge, or at room temperature, in an airtight container. So it is suitable for preparing ahead. At least a day in advance, and your guests will still enjoy this moist pound cake.

This German gingerbread cake is perfect for freezing. In an airtight container, it will last up to three months.

Interested in German Christmas?

• Read my Guide on German Christmas Food.
• Discover all about German Christmas Market Food
• And see all of our Christmas Recipes

More German Christmas Baking Recipes

• Marzipan Cookies
• Lebkuchenherzen Recipe - German Gingerbread Hearts
• German Butter Cookies
• Vanillakipferl
• Baiser Cookies (Germen Merengue Cookies)
• Kokusmakronen (German Coconut Macaroons)
• Spitzbuben (German Jam Cookies)
• German Stollen Recipe (German Christmas Cake)
• Bethmännchen (Almond Marzipan Cookies)

Recipe

Easy German Gingerbread Cake (Gewürzkuchen)

Marita

This lebkuchen spiced and moist German Gingerbread cake is a variation of the classic Lebkuchen cookies. A traditional Lebkuchen cake, that is quick and easy to put together as a family holiday classic for Christmas.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Servings 8 people

Calories 583 kcal

Equipment

•  baking tray (30 x 40 cm / 12 x 17 inches)

Ingredients

  

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• 4 eggs medium size, at room temperature
• 230 g sugar 8.1 oz
• 2 teaspoon  vanilla sugar  or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 150 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 350 g flour (Germany type 405, UK Plain flour, USA Pastry Flour)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 30 g unsweetend cocoa
• 250 ml milk
• 150 g ground almonds
• 4 teaspoon gingerbread spice For the most authentic flavour I recommend our homemade lebkuchen spice

For the glaze

• 150 g dark chocolate glaze
• 50 g whole almonds

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 180°C or 356°F top to bottom heat.
• Line a baking tray (30 x 40 cm / 12 x 17 inches) (affiliate link) with baking parchment and grease the edges with butter.
• Using a handmixer or stand mixer combine the eggs with the sugar, vanilla sugar, butter and mix until creamy. (This should take about 5 minutes)
• Combine the flour, baking powder (affiliate link), cocoa in a bowl. Using a flour sieve, sieve the flour mixture into the dough. This will make your gingerbread cake light and fluffy, as it adds air to the dough. Pour in the milk and add the salt, lebkuchen spice / gingerbread spice and ground almonds (affiliate link). Mix until you achieve a smooth dough.
• Pour or spread the dough with a pallet knife into the prepared baking tray. Bake in the oven for approximatley 25 minutes. Exact baking time varies by oven. To check if the dough is done, prick a skewer in the middle. If it comes out clean, it is done.
• Leave to cool completley before decorating.
• In the meantime place a little water (500 ml/ 16 fl oz) in a saucepan and add the raw almonds. Bring the water to a boil and cook the almonds for around 2 minutes before removing them with a sieve. Rinse in cold water. The skin of the almonds should now simply slip off.
• Melt the dark chocolate glaze in a waterbath. Pour the melted chocolate over the cooled cake, and spread evenly with a pallet knife.
• Before the glaze hardens, place the almonds in an X formation on the dark chocolate (see image). Leave to cool. Once the cake is cooled you can slice the cakes into rectangles or squares.

Notes

I strongly recommend you to refer to the full post for step by step recipe photos. 

Recipe Variations

• Instead of baking this cake in a sheet tray, you can use a loaf form. You will need to bake the cake for longer, approx an hour.
• Replace the ground almonds (affiliate link) with ground hazelnuts (affiliate link) if you wish
• To make the cake extra chocolaty, you can add 100 g of dark chocolate drops into the dough.
• Instead of the dark chocolate glaze, you can also prepare a lebkuchen icing. Here you used 150 g icing /confectioners sugar (sieved), 1 teaspoon Lebkuchen spice and 5 tablespoons of milk. Mix together and you will get a lovely white glaze.
• Decorate the cake with festive sugar sprinkles instead of almonds. The almonds are the more traditional way of decorating them.

Storage Instructions

This cake will stay good for up to three days. Store in the fridge or at room temperature in an airtight container. So it is suitable for preparing ahead. At least a day in advance, and your guests will still enjoy this moist pound cake.

This German gingerbread cake is perfect for freezing. In an airtight container, it will last up to three months.

Nutrition

Calories: 583kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 12gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 130mgPotassium: 211mgFiber: 6gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 526IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 183mgIron: 4mg

Keyword Easy gingerbread cake, German gingerbread cake, Gewürzkuchen, Lebkuchen cake

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