Gingerbread Cake
Gingerbread cake is a great way to celebrate the holidays. The gingerbread cake layers are flavored with molasses and warm spices and the cake is frosted with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. This gingerbread cake recipe makes the perfect Christmas dessert.
Ingredients for the Gingerbread Cake
Gingerbread Cake
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon + ground ginger + ground cloves – The mixture of these warm spices creates the perfect gingerbread flavor.
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil
- Granulated sugar + brown sugar
- Eggs – Large eggs, room temperature.
- Molasses – For this recipe, I used unsulphured molasses.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract helps to enhance all the flavors in the cake.
- Buttermilk – Room temperature. You can also use buttermilk substitute.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Cream cheese – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds amazing vanilla flavor in the frosting.
- Salt – Contrasts the sweetness in the frosting.
Additional Ingredients
- Cinnamon – Add a sprinkle of cinnamon around the top of the cake for decoration.
- Holiday sprinkles – Holiday sprinkles add a little pop of color and make this cake extra festive.
Tools & Supplies
How to Make the Gingerbread Cake
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Prepare three 7-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper circles.
- Make the cake batter: Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. Cream the unsalted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until it is smooth. Add in the eggs, molasses, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is smooth.
- Bake the cake layers: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cake layers for 28 to 30 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back when gently touched. Cool the cake layers in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: Cream the unsalted butter and cream cheese until light and smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until well combined. Turn the mixer speed to medium-high and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
How to Assemble the Gingerbread Cake
- Level the cooled gingerbread cake layers with a serrated knife.
- Place one cake layer on a round cake board. Add desired amount of cream cheese frosting to the top of the layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Add the second cake layer, more cream cheese frosting, and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Add the final cake layer to the top of the cake. Be sure the bottom of the cake layer is facing up.
- With an offset spatula, add a crumb coat, a thin layer of frosting, to the top and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting to smooth the sides. Chill the cake for 20 minutes to firm up the frosting.
- Add a generous layer of the cream cheese frosting to the chilled cake with an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting and smooth the sides of the cake. Chill for an additional 20 minutes.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 869 piping tip with the remaining cream cheese frosting. Pipe a border around the top edge of the cake. Sprinkle the edges of the cake with cinnamon and decorate with festive holiday sprinkles.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips post on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cakes and 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn simple tips and tricks to make the best cake ever!
- If you want to learn more about my favorite cake baking and decorating supplies, be sure to check out this post for more information.
- To learn how to assemble and decorate the cake, be sure to check out my tutorial on how to frost a layer cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the cake?
- Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cover any exposed cake with parchment paper to prevent the cake from drying out. Serve the cake at room temperature for the best results.
Other Recipes You Will Love
- Gingerbread cookie bars
- Gingerbread cookies
- Ginger molasses cookies
- Gingerbread cookie bars
- Gingerbread cupcakes
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Gingerbread Cake
Yield: 12 servings
Gingerbread cake is a great way to celebrate the holidays. The gingerbread cake layers are flavored with molasses and warm spices and the cake is frosted with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. This cake makes the perfect Christmas dessert.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake
- 2 ½ cup (313 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tsp (2 tsp) baking powder
- 2 ½ tsp (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) ground ginger
- ¼ tsp (0.2 tsp) ground cloves
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup (55 g) vegetable oil
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- 3 (3) large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup (169 g) molasses
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 oz (227 g) cream cheese room temperature
- 7 cups (840 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
Additional Ingredients
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) cinnamon optional for decoration
- 1 tbsp (10 g) holiday sprinkles optional for decoration
Instructions
Gingerbread Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Prepare three 7-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper circles.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy. Add in the eggs, molasses, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, mixing in between each addition. (⅓ dry ingredients, ½ buttermilk, ⅓ dry ingredients, ½ buttermilk, ⅓ dry ingredients). Mix until the batter is well combined and smooth.
- Divide the cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Use a kitchen scale to make even layers. Bake the cake layers for 28 to 30 minutes, until the cake layers spring back when gently touched.
- Cool the cake layers in the pans for 15 minutes. Remove the cake layers from the pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Level the cooled gingerbread cake layers with a serrated knife.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add room temperature butter and cream cheese. Whip on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix. Add in the vanilla extract and salt. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. If you want a light, fluffy frosting, switch to a whisk attachment.
Assembling the Gingerbread Cake
- Place one cake layer on a round cake board. Add desired amount of cream cheese frosting to the top of the layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Add the second cake layer, more cream cheese frosting, and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Add the final cake layer to the top of the cake. Be sure the bottom of the cake layer is facing up.
- With an offset spatula, add a crumb coat, a thin layer of frosting, to the top and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting to smooth the sides. Chill the cake for 20 minutes to firm up the frosting.
- Add a generous layer of the cream cheese frosting to the chilled cake with an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting and smooth the sides of the cake. Chill for an additional 20 minutes.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 869 piping tip with the remaining cream cheese frosting. Pipe a border around the top edge of the cake. Sprinkle the edges of the cake with cinnamon and decorate with festive holiday sprinkles.
Notes
- Store the gingerbread cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cover any exposed cake with plastic wrap to prevent the cake from drying out. Serve at room temperature.
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
Can I use this recipe for cupcakes? And use 2 8 “inch pans
Hi there! I haven’t tested this recipe specifically for cupcakes, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I also have a gingerbread cupcake recipe that is similar to the cake.
Can this be made in a 9×13 pan?
Hi Stella! This cake could be made in a 9×13 pan. You will likely have extra cream cheese frosting. The baking time may be a bit different. I haven’t tested this recipe specifically, so it is hard to say exactly what the baking time would be. I recommend baking for about 30 minutes and checking.