Instant pot gingerbread pudding cake is a pudding and cake hybrid. A self-saucing dessert, the intense aroma of gingerbread and gooey pudding-like texture makes this perfect with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream. The perfect treat for the holidays!
If you’re anything like me, and love the smell of warm gingerbread in the holidays, then you’re going to love this pudding! This isn’t one of those decadent layered desserts that usually make their way to a festive Christmas feast or celebratory menu – such as this cranberry and white chocolate cheesecake. Au contraire, this pudding is simple to make, and looks rather messy. But one whiff of the aroma of gingerbread and you know its going to taste pretty damn fine!
This was so good, I made it twice in two days – it is the perfect treat during the holidays, and an excellent pick me up. I love serving it warm, with a scoop of ice cream, or a heaped serving of whipped cream.
This recipe has been adapted from here, the original recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine.
What you will need to make a gingerbread pudding cake:
The key to making a gingerbread pudding cake is in the molasses or treacle, and the gingerbread spice mix. There is a good amount of buttery liquid that is poured over the cake batter, and this liquid is what makes this a self-saucing pudding – giving it that oozing -‘sauce’ is good enough to lick clean – (speaking from experience here).
Here’s all that goes into this gingerbread pudding cake:
- Molasses or treacle
- Gingerbread spice mix – use either gingerbread spice mix, or a combination of dried ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and all-spice.
- Butter
- Hot water
- Flour
Baking soda - Brown and white sugar
- 1 egg
Step-by-step instructions to make gingerbread pudding cake in the Instant Pot:
Keep your ingredients at hand and prepare a 7-inch cake tin by rubbing the inside of the cake pan with softened butter. Keep the cake pan aside for later.
To prepare the batter, start by whisking together the flour with the gingerbread spices, salt and baking soda. Keep aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl - if you are using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar (do not add the brown sugar yet)
Then, add the egg and beat to combine. Add the molasses or treacle, and whisk together on medium speed.
Then add 1/2 a cup of water, and beat to combine. The mixture will appear curdled. Thats ok! Add the flour-spice mixture and add it in three parts to the mixer. Beat gently to combine.
Turn out the batter into the prepared cake pan. Over this, sprinkle the brown sugar.
Mix together 1 cup hot water with the melted butter and pour this mixture over the brown sugar topping.
In your Instant Pot, add 1.5 cups of water and place a tall trivet such as this one.
Place the cake pan over the trivet and close the lid. Pressure cook the batter for 50 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Once cooked, open the lid and let the pudding sit for 5 minutes to let any excess water evaporate.
Spoon out the pudding cake and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Happy Holidays!
Instant Pot Gingerbread Pudding Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the batter
- 1+⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon clove powder
- ¼ teaspoon all-spice
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ½ cup molasses or treacle
- ½ cup water
To sprinkle over batter
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
For the saucing liquid:
- 1 cup hot water
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Prepare a 7-inch cake tin by rubbing the inside of the cake pan with softened butter. Keep the cake pan aside for later.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar. Do not add the brown sugar yet.
- Then, add the egg and beat to combine. Add the molasses or treacle, and whisk together on medium speed.
- Then add 1/2 a cup of water, and beat to combine. The mixture will appear curdled. Add the flour-spice mixture and add it in three parts to the mixer. beat gently to combine.
- Turn out the batter into the prepared cake pan. Over this sprinkle the brown sugar in an even layer.
- Mix together 1 cup hot water with the melted butter and pour this mixture over the brown sugar topping.
- In your Instant Pot, add 1,5 cups of water and place a tall trivet.
- Place the cake pan over the trivet and close the lid (there is no need to cover the pudding with aluminium foil).
- Pressure Cook the batter for 50 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Once cooked, open the lid and let the pudding sit for 5 minutes to let any excess water evaporate.
- Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
Oh wow! That texture sounds perfect! Love all those spices.
I'm all for Gingerbread and this Pudding Cake looks so great! I can't believe that it was made in an Instant Pot!
This was really amazing! I can't wait to make it again!
Ohhh pudding cake is my absolute favorite dessert and I haven't had it in ages, thanks for sharing!
This is so delicious and super easy to make.
This cake was so easy to make and turned out delicious!