Gingerbread Cake
This flavorful homemade gingerbread cake combines warm spices along with the irresistible taste of molasses before being iced with a made-from-scratch cream cheese frosting.
Servings: 12
Calories: 823kcal
Ingredients
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
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (two 8-ounce packages)
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- 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
Instructions
Cake
- 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.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer.
- Add the eggs and beat until the batter is fluffy.
- Add the molasses and beat with a mixer until fully incorporated.
- Beginning and ending with the milk, alternate adding the milk and flour mixture until fully combined and fluffy.
- Divide batter between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the pans and cool for 10 minutes. Gently remove cakes from pans to cooling racks and cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until combined.
- Add the molasses and cinnamon and beat until fluffy.
- Add in 4 cups of powdered sugar and beat until smooth. The mixture will be thick.
- 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
- Trim the top of each cake layer to remove any doming and form a flat surface.
- Place the first cake layer top side up onto the serving platter.
- Mound about ½ cup of frosting onto the cake layer and spread it smoothly to the edges.
- Place the second cake layer top side down on top of the filling. Press down gently to seal the layers together.
- 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.
- Decorate with gingersnaps and/or sprinkles.
- Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.
Notes
- I used 9-inch round pans for this gingerbread recipe. For a taller cake, you could also use seven or eight-inch round pans.
- 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.
- Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature so that you don't have any lumps in your creamy frosting.
Nutrition
Calories: 823kcal | Carbohydrates: 113g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 521mg | Potassium: 719mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 87g | Vitamin A: 1363IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 4mg