Gingerbread Cake

Table of Contents

1. Gingerbread Cake Ingredients
2. Substitutions and Additions
3. How to Make Gingerbread Cake
4. How to Serve Gingerbread Cake
5. Storage
6. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
7. MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
8. JUMP TO RECIPE

Gingerbread cake is a classic holiday dessert that is bursting with rich, warm flavors. This rich, old-fashioned gingerbread cake combines molasses, sugar, and spices before being topped with a made-from-scratch cream cheese frosting. You are bound to fall in love with this cozy, old-fashioned dessert.

Need more recipes to satisfy your gingerbread cravings? Gingerbread Fudge, Gingerbread Truffles, and Soft Gingerbread Cookies are three more delicious recipes for you to try. 

Gingerbread Cake Ingredients

You will need:

Gingerbread Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk

Frosting

• ½ cup salted butter, softened
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (two 8-ounce packages)
• ⅓ cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup heavy cream, or milk
• Gingersnaps and/or sprinkles for decorating, optional

Substitutions and Additions

FROSTING: You can skip the frosting if you prefer and serve your gingerbread layer cake with fresh homemade whipped cream if you’d prefer. 

CARAMEL: Drizzle some rich, sweet caramel sauce on top before serving. 

How to Make Gingerbread Cake

Cake 

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F (325°F for dark/non-stick pans). Line the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray the sides with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

PRO TIP: I used 9-inch round pans for this gingerbread recipe. For a taller cake, you could also use seven or eight-inch round pans.

STEP TWO: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

STEP THREE: Cream together the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer.

STEP FOUR: Add the eggs and beat until the batter is fluffy.

STEP FIVE: Add the molasses and beat with a mixer until fully incorporated.

STEP SIX: Beginning and ending with the milk, alternate adding the milk and flour mixture until fully combined and fluffy.

STEP SEVEN: Divide batter between the two prepared cake pans.

STEP EIGHT: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

PRO TIP: Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cake at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

STEP NINE: Remove the pans and cool for 10 minutes. Gently remove cakes from pans to cooling racks and cool completely.

Frosting

STEP TEN: Beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until combined.

PRO TIP: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature so that you don’t have any lumps in your creamy frosting.

STEP ELEVEN: Add the molasses and cinnamon and beat until fluffy.

STEP TWELVE: Add in 4 cups of powdered sugar and beat until smooth. The mixture will be thick.

STEP THIRTEEN: Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream into the frosting mixture while beating until the frosting is fluffy and has a spreadable consistency. Add additional powdered sugar or cream to achieve the desired consistency.

Assembly

STEP FOURTEEN: Trim the top of each cake layer to remove any doming and form a flat surface.

STEP FIFTEEN: Place the first cake layer top side up onto the serving platter.

STEP SIXTEEN: Mound about ½ cup of frosting onto the cake layer and spread it smoothly to the edges.

STEP SEVENTEEN: Place the second cake layer top side down on top of the filling. Press down gently to seal the layers together.

STEP EIGHTEEN: Mound another pile of frosting on top of the cake and use a spatula to spread it across the top and down the sides until the cake is fully frosted.

STEP NINETEEN: Decorate with gingersnaps and/or sprinkles.

STEP TWENTY: Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.

How to Serve Gingerbread Cake

The perfect dessert for the holidays, gingerbread cake would be delicious any time of year. For even more indulgence enjoy a slice of cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side or a dollop of whipped cream on top. Pair your gingerbread cake with a warm mug of homemade hot chocolate.

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: You can store this flavorful gingerbread cake covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to a week. 

IN THE FREEZER: You can store this moist cake in an airtight container for up to a month. If you’re planning to freeze it, I would suggest baking the cake layers and freezing and then preparing the frosting fresh before serving. When you’re ready to enjoy the cake, thaw the layers and then proceed with the frosting and assembly instructions.

Gingerbread cake is baked from scratch, combining warm spices with the irresistible taste of molasses, before being topped with a homemade tangy cream cheese frosting. With a rich, moist batter and creamy, delicious frosting, this classic homemade dessert is a family favorite for the holidays. Festive and merry, there’s nothing cozier than enjoying a slice of this flavorful gingerbread cake. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I freeze this gingerbread cake? 

This great recipe can be frozen for up to a month. We recommend that you freeze the unfrosted cake layers and frost the cake when you are ready to serve it.

Can I use store-bought frosting in this recipe? 

For our easy recipe, you could use store-bought frosting and then add molasses and cinnamon to give it the gingerbread flavor.

What kind of molasses should I use for this recipe? 

You will want to use unsulphured molasses, which is made from ripe sugar cane and does not have any additives. It is generally the kind you will find at the grocery store and is different from blackstrap molasses.

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• Pumpkin Magic Cake
• Marble Cake
• Pineapple Angel Food Cake
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