This Gingerbread Cake is the ultimate holiday treat, blending traditional spice with rich molasses and a delicate crumb. It features warm, aromatic spices and is topped with a luxurious, tangy cream cheese frosting that has been perfectly spiced with cinnamon and ginger.
Gingerbread Cake With Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
There’s nothing quite like the smell of gingerbread baking in the oven—it instantly evokes warmth and holiday memories. This cake is perfect for winter celebrations, Christmas parties, or cozy nights by the fire. Each bite delivers that classic, comforting spice profile, perfectly balanced by the creamy, bright frosting, making it an all-time favorite dessert for the colder months.
Why This Gingerbread Cake Is the Best
Perfectly Spiced: Features a blend of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg for authentic holiday flavor.
Tender, Moist Crumb: Achieved through the use of oil, molasses, and hot milk.
Luxurious Frosting: Topped with a tangy, spiced cream cheese frosting that complements the cake perfectly.
Make-Ahead Friendly: The cake base stays moist and is great for prepping in advance.
Crowd-Pleasing Dessert: A guaranteed hit for Christmas, New Year’s, or any winter gathering.
Rich Molasses Depth: Uses blackstrap molasses for that deep, complex gingerbread flavor.
Gingerbread Cake With Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
Perfect for Any Occasion
This Gingerbread Cake is ideal for Christmas dinner, holiday potlucks, or even as a centerpiece for a winter brunch. It’s a classic dessert that fits every celebratory mood. Serve it slightly warm with a dusting of powdered sugar, or paired with a hot mug of cocoa or mulled wine for an irresistible treat.
Ingredient Notes
Cake Base
- All-purpose flour & Cornstarch: This combination creates a delicate and tender crumb structure.
- Baking powder & Baking soda & Salt: The necessary leavening agents and flavor balance for a good rise.
- Ginger powder, Ground cinnamon, Ground cloves, Ground nutmeg: The classic blend of warm spices for that signature gingerbread flavor (adjust ginger for preference).
- Light soft brown sugar: Should be firmly packed; adds moisture and a caramel note.
- Unflavoured vegetable oil: I recommend canola oil; contributes to the cake’s tenderness and moisture.
- Blackstrap molasses: Gives the cake its deep color and distinct, rich flavor (can substitute lighter molasses).
- Large egg: Use at room temperature to ensure smooth mixing.
- Vanilla essence/extract: Enhances the overall sweet flavor.
- Hot milk: Make sure the milk is hot, not just warm; use whole milk for best results.
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- Unsalted butter: Must be at room temperature for proper creaming.
- Powdered sugar: Also known as icing or confectioners’ sugar; used to sweeten and thicken the frosting.
- Cream cheese: Use cold, firm cream cheese for the best, most stable frosting structure.
- Vanilla extract/essence: Adds a lovely aromatic quality.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best; adds necessary tanginess to cut the richness.
- Ground ginger & Ground cinnamon: Used to spice up the frosting, perfectly matching the cake.
Gingerbread Cake With Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
Tips for Making the Best Gingerbread Cake
Temperature Matters: Ensure eggs are at room temperature for the cake, but use cold, firm cream cheese for the frosting.
Use Hot Milk: The hot milk is essential for activating the leavening agents and creating the tender texture.
Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour and spices to ensure there are no clumps and the cake bakes evenly.
Don’t Overmix: Mix the batter only until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined to keep the cake tender.
Cool Completely: The cake must be completely cool before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
Gingerbread Cake With Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
Serving Suggestions
Dust with Powdered Sugar: For a simple, snowy, and elegant presentation if serving unfrosted.
Candied Ginger Garnish: Top the frosted cake with pieces of candied ginger for an extra flavor and texture boost.
Holiday Platter: Serve alongside shortbread cookies and spiced nuts for a festive dessert spread.
Warm Beverage Pairing: Pairs beautifully with a strong cup of black tea, coffee, or a cozy mug of hot cocoa.
Serve Slightly Warm: The cake base is particularly delicious served slightly warm before adding the cream cheese frosting.
Gingerbread Cake With Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
A Must Try
This Gingerbread Cake is rich, incredibly moist, and wonderfully aromatic, truly capturing the essence of the holidays. It’s the kind of dessert that feels both deeply comforting and celebratory, satisfying every craving for warm spice and sweet creaminess. Whether you’re baking it for a large family meal or a quiet evening treat, one slice of this cake will remind you why gingerbread is a timeless classic.
Gingerbread Cake With Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake
- 2¼ cups 270 g all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup 30 g cornstarch
- 1 cup 200 g light soft brown sugar - firmly packed
- 1 cup 215 g unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- ½ cup 140 g blackstrap molasses
- ¾ cup 180 g hot milk - make sure it's hot (not just warm) and use whole milk
- 2 large egg - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence/extract
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoon ginger powder - ground ginger can reduce to 2 teaspoon for a less spiced/more kid friendly cake
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup 225 g unsalted butter - room temperature
- 4½ cups 570 g powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners' sugar
- 1½ cups 335 g cream cheese - cold, firm type
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract/essence
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed not artificial
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Gingerbread Cake
- First, let's turn the oven on to 180°C (350°F), and If your oven has a fan setting, you should bake the cake at a slightly lower temperature of 160°C (320°F), as the fan will cook the cakes faster! Give your two 8-inch cake pans a nice coating of grease.
- In a bowl, gently sift together your flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Use a whisk to mix them until they look perfectly combined, and then set those dry things aside for a moment.
- In a large bowl, bring together the light brown sugar, vegetable oil, blackstrap molasses, egg, and vanilla. Whisk these lovely wet ingredients until they are smooth and well combined.
- Now, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Use your whisk to mix them until they are just combined. Don't worry, the batter will be very thick at this stage!
- To finish, pour in the hot milk. Give the batter one last whisk until it is smooth and lovely—be careful not to overmix!
- Divide the batter evenly into your two prepared pans. Gently drop the cake tins a little onto the counter to release any large air bubbles. Bake them for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the middle comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Let the cakes cool in their pans for 20 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. While they are cooling, we can start on that wonderful frosting!
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, put your unsalted butter. Use your electric mixer (hand or stand mixer works well!) to cream it on a medium-high speed for a few minutes until it's wonderfully light and fluffy.
- Now, gradually add your powdered sugar in three batches, mixing on a low speed. Make sure each batch of sugar is fully mixed into the butter before you add the next.
- Next, add in your cold cream cheese, vanilla, fresh lemon juice, ginger, and cinnamon. Mix on a medium speed just until the frosting looks perfectly smooth. Again, try to avoid over-mixing it. (If you notice any little lumps, peek at the tip below for a quick fix!)
- Once your cake layers are completely cool to the touch, you can assemble your beautiful cake.
Kitchen Tips
- Measuring Brown Sugar: When measuring brown sugar, press it down firmly into the measuring cup so it keeps its shape when turned out.
- Molasses Swap: You can use light molasses, but know it will make the cake a little sweeter and the flavor less deep. If you use it, you might want to use a little less brown sugar in the cake.
- Firm Frosting Secret: For a frosting that holds its shape well (especially for piping), always use firm, cold cream cheese, not the spreadable type.
- Fixing soft frosting: If the weather is warm and your frosting gets too soft, simply pop it into the fridge for about half an hour, then whip it again to bring back its piping consistency.
- Convection Ovens: If your oven has a fan setting, you should bake the cake at a slightly lower temperature of 160°C (320°F), as the fan will cook the cakes faster.
- Lumpy Frosting Rescue: If your frosting gets lumpy, it's usually the cream cheese not mixing well. Try mixing it on the highest speed, or switch to the whisk attachment on a stand mixer—that should smooth things right out! You can also whip the cream cheese until smooth before adding it to the butter and sugar.
Gingerbread Cake With Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting