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Filled with molasses and spices and covered in a cream cheese frosting, this Gingerbread Cake is a fluffy, moist, and flavorful dessert that will be perfect at your holiday dessert table.
Gingerbread is an iconic flavor, especially around the holiday season. I’m obsessed with it and have loved gingerbread for the longest time.
This Gingerbread Cake is one of my favorite things to make, dare I say one of my favorite cakes to make? But I also love it in muffin, cookie, and other forms.
The flavors in this cake just work well together, it is not overpowering and the cream cheese frosting really complements it and really just completes the whole dessert.
This is the perfect cake to make for a gathering as it serves a lot of people, and we have never had one complaint about it. Everyone asks for the recipe, and obviously, I oblige.
This is the holiday cake of the season, and you absolutely must make it. Trust me, once you take that first bite, you really won’t want to stop.
So if you are looking for that perfect dessert to serve a crowd, that is full of all the flavor, then you have to make my Gingerbread Cake Recipe!
Some of my other favorite cake recipes that we have on our site include: German Chocolate Cake, Homemade Caramel Cake and RumChata Poke Cake.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Pantry staple ingredients help this come together nicely.
- This serves a crowd.
- The flavors are not overwhelming and balance together.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):
All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Cinnamon
Ginger
Gloves
Nutmeg
Fine sea salt
Unsalted butter
Vegetable oil
Granulated sugar
Eggs
Molasses
Boiling water
Cream cheese
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE A GINGERBREAD CAKE:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt, set aside.
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, and sugar together until smooth.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing the first fully before adding the next.
- Stir in the molasses.
- Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, and scrape down the sides as needed.
- Stir in the water until combined. Pour into the baking dish and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting by creaming the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Whip on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Frost the cake once it has cooled, and serve immediately.
WHAT KIND OF MOLASSES IS BEST TO USE?
You will want to use an unsulphured molasses for this recipe. It is a lighter molasses that still has a ton of flavor but is not overpowering. We like to use Grandma’s brand.
CAN I USE OTHER SPICES?
If you want the original taste of gingerbread I suggest using the spices that are stated in this recipe. You can use pumpkin pie spice if you don’t have the others on hand, but it will not give it original flavor but will still taste good.
CAN I TOP THIS WITH SOMETHING ELSE?
Yes, if you want to top it with some other things you absolutely can. Some of our favorite alternative toppings include: a dusting of powdered sugar, caramel sauce, vanilla buttercream, a vanilla sauce, or even a pecan praline frosting.
HOW TO STORE:
This cake can be stored in an airtight container or in the pan covered with plastic wrap or foil where it will keep for up to 1 week.
This can also be frozen, place it in a freezer container and it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight until thawed. This is best served at room temperature so set out until it comes to room temp and enjoy.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Pumpkin pie spice can be substituted but you will not get the true flavor of gingerbread.
- Other toppings can be used, see above on ideas.
- We like to use an unsulphured molasses for this recipe.
- The flavors are a perfect combination and are not overwhelming.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
Looking for that perfect gingerbread flavored dessert to grace your holiday table? This Gingerbread Cake is exactly what you need.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried this GINGERBREAD CAKE let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup boiling water
For the frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt, set aside.
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, and sugar together until smooth.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing the first fully before adding the next.
- Stir in the molasses.
- Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, and scrape down the sides as needed.
- Stir in the water until combined. Pour into the baking dish and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting by creaming the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Whip on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Frost the cake once it has cooled, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Pumpkin pie spice can be substituted but you will not get the true flavor of gingerbread.
- Other toppings can be used, see above on ideas.
- We like to use an unsulphured molasses for this recipe.
- The flavors are a perfect combination and are not overwhelming.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
Nutrition
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HELPFULL HINTS!!! Way too much frosting, I cut recipe in half, need to add extra powdered sugar, I sift powdered sugar first. I also cut back on the nutmeg to 1/4 teaspoon as it has a bitter flavor, I guess one could use 1/2 teaspoon if they wanted but not a full teaspoon. At the time of this remark, I have not tried this cake as yet as I have made it for church & did not want to cut into the cake. I will know better how the cake fairs out after church tomorrow on the 2nd. of June-2024. I will get a report from the people at church as it is a “keeper recipe”. Added note – when baking a cake, one should bake for 15 min., & turn pan 1/4th. turn every 10 min. or so to get a nice flat top & not uneven top. Also for the cake- sift all dry ingredients together first – set aside to be added when needed. I also sift powdered sugar for frosting, be sure to mix the frosting for a long time to get the sugar mixed into the cream cheese & butter for a much better frosting.