This gingerbread cake recipe is the most festive Christmas cake! Decorate the moist ginger molasses cake layers with cream cheese frosting & gingerbread cookies 🙂
This gingerbread cake is so soft & moist, and full of warm spices & rich molasses. Coated in a sweet cream cheese frosting and decorated with cute mini gingerbread cookies, this festive cake is sure to be a holiday favorite!
What I love about this cake is that it bakes up perfectly flat, so there's no need to use cake strips or trim off the tops before decorating! Go with a rustic swoopy frosting look, or smooth sides & star piping around the edges. Either way, don't leave off the mini gingerbread cookies!
For more holiday recipes, try Soft Gingerbread Cutout Cookies, Homemade Mini Marshmallows, Gingerbread Bundt Cake, and Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies.
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Why you'll love this gingerbread cake
- Soft & Moist Texture: These cake layers bake up so soft & moist, making it hard to not eat more than one piece!
- Ginger Molasses Flavor: Warm, cozy spices & rich molasses make this cake the essence of Christmas.
- Sweet Cream Cheese Frosting: Everything is better with cream cheese frosting, and my recipe results in an extra sturdy frosting, so your cake tastes amazing and looks beautiful!
Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: Use high-quality, unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Leaveners: You'll need both baking powder and baking soda to give this cake the perfect rise & texture.
- Spices: I used a combination of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Dairy: Use whole milk & whole milk greek yogurt for the best flavor.
- Butter: Be sure to use high-quality unsalted butter. My favorite is Kerrygold!
- Sugars: You'll need both granulated & brown sugar for the right balance of sweetness & moisture. You'll also need powdered sugar for the frosting.
- Molasses: Be sure to use unsulphured molasses.
- Eggs: You'll need 3 eggs at room temperature.
- Cream Cheese: Use block-style cream cheese to ensure the frosting is stable enough to be piped!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this gingerbread cake recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Make the cake batter. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar for 2-3 minutes. While the mixer is on low speed, slowly drizzle in the molasses. Once all of the molasses is added, scrape down the bowl and beat on medium speed until everything is fully combined. Add in the vanilla and eggs one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next. Add half of the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Mix in the milk & yogurt, then the remaining dry ingredients. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl frequently.
STEP 2: Bake. Divide batter between the prepared pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
STEP 3: Allow the cakes to cool. Allow the cakes to cool for a few minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
STEP 4: Make the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on low speed until fully combined. Once all of the powdered sugar is added, continue beating on low speed until no more lumps or pockets of air remain and the frosting is smooth.
STEP 5: Assemble the cake. Secure the first cake layer on the cake stand with a small amount of frosting on the bottom. Using an offset spatula, spread on an even layer of frosting, then place the second cake layer on top.
STEP 6: Decorate. Apply a crumb coat by spreading an even layer of frosting all over the cake, then place in fridge for 15 minutes. Finish decorating the cake as desired. Top with gingerbread cookies and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- You can make the cake layers the day before (or even earlier), then freeze them overnight, and decorate the next day. This allows you to skip the crumb coat and makes it so much easier to frost. Just leave the cake out for a couple hours at room temperature before serving.
- Use an ice cream scoop to measure out an equal amount of frosting for each layer. I used five, 3 tablespoon scoops in between the layers.
- Be sure to sift your powdered sugar to create a super smooth cream cheese frosting without having to mix in on low speed for forever!
- Decorate your cake with these gingerbread cookies!
Recipe FAQs
To make a cream cheese frosting that is smooth enough to decorate a cake, but sturdy enough to support thick cake layers I use 1 stick of butter for every ¾ block of cream cheese. Add as much or as little powdered sugar as you would like depending on your preference of sweetness. For this recipe, I suggest at least 2 ½ cups or 282g.
You can make the cake layers the day before (or even earlier), then freeze them overnight, and decorate the next day. This allows you to skip the crumb coat and makes it so much easier to frost. Just leave the cake out for a couple hours at room temperature before serving.
This recipe involves a basic cake method of creaming the butter & sugars, mixing in the eggs, then alternating the dry & wet ingredients. It's a simple tried and true method that results in an extra soft cake every single time.Â
Make the cake layers at least one day before decorating and freeze them overnight. Decorating frozen cake layers eliminates the need for a crumb coat, which means less time decorating and more time eating!
Make the frosting the day of! You do not want to run the risk that your buttercream didn’t warm up enough after being in the fridge all night. Buttercream that isn’t at the right temperature will split and look grainy when you stir it. Avoid the headache of going back and forth between heating it over a double boiler to bring it back together and chilling it down to the right consistency. Of course, if it’s a ganache, like in this recipe, you’ll want it to thicken overnight in the fridge.Â
Allow the decorated cake to sit out at room temperature for several hours to defrost before serving.Â
This cake lasts about 3 days in air-tight container stored at room temperature. Cake slices can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other holiday recipes you'll love
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📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 9" Cake Pan
Ingredients
For the gingerbread cake:
- 360 g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 150 g (â…” cup) unsalted butter, room temp
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 106 g (½ cup) dark brown sugar
- 340 g (1 cup) molasses
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 227 g (1 cup) whole milk, room temp
- 70 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) whole milk plain greek yogurt, room temp
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 227 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temp
- 12 oz (1 ½ blocks) cream cheese, cold
- 282-340 g (2 ½ - 3 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
For the gingerbread cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper.Â
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar for 2-3 minutes.
- While the mixer is on low speed, slowly drizzle in the molasses. Once all of the molasses is added, scrape down the bowl and beat on medium speed until everything is fully combined.
- Add in the vanilla and eggs one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next.
- Add half of the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.Â
- Mix in the milk & yogurt, then the remaining dry ingredients. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl frequently.
- Divide batter between the prepared pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for a few minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on high speed until smooth.
- Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on low speed until fully combined.
- Once all of the powdered sugar is added, continue beating on low speed until no more lumps or pockets of air remain and the frosting is smooth.
For Assembly:
- Secure the first cake layer on the cake stand with a small amount of frosting on the bottom. Using an offset spatula, spread on an even layer of frosting, then place the second cake layer on top.
- Apply a crumb coat by spreading an even layer of frosting all over the cake, then place in fridge for 15 minutes.Â
- Finish decorating the cake as desired.Â
- Top with gingerbread cookies and enjoy!Â
Notes
- You can make the cake layers the day before (or even earlier), then freeze them overnight, and decorate the next day. This allows you to skip the crumb coat and makes it so much easier to frost. Just leave the cake out for a couple hours at room temperature before serving.
- Use an ice cream scoop to measure out an equal amount of frosting for each layer. I used five, 3 tablespoon scoops in between the layers.Â
- Be sure to sift your powdered sugar to create a super smooth cream cheese frosting without having to mix in on low speed for forever!
- Decorate your cake with these gingerbread cookies!
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