Gingerbread cake is a classic holiday dessert known for its warm, spicy flavor. The combination of molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves gives gingerbread cake its signature flavor. The rich and creamy molasses frosting perfectly complements the moist and delicious cake.
The holidays are a time for family, friends, and, of course, food! Of course, family and friends are the most important parts of the holiday season, but the food definitely ranks a close second for me. I love all the savory mains and sides, but the real stars of the holiday show for me are the sweets. And I’m a sucker for the classics. That’s why I love making this gingerbread cake. I take classic gingerbread and make a rich, sweet molasses cream cheese frosting that elevates the original while still keeping it true to its classic roots.
Gingerbread Cake
This delicious recipe starts with a moist, tender gingerbread cake filled with the classic flavors of pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and cinnamon. I add molasses for extra sweetness and depth of flavor and corn syrup for even more moist tenderness. I bake it to perfection, then I top it with a sweet, homemade cream cheese molasses frosting that adds a sweet twist on this classic frosting. When it’s all said and done, I have a delicious dessert for the holidays that’s true to its roots but with just a little something extra to make it uniquely tasty.
Why You’ll Love This Gingerbread Cake Recipe
- The cake is moist, flavorful, and the perfect balance of molasses, spices, and sweetness.
- It’s frosted with a creamy, delicious, and smooth frosting with a hint of molasses that complements the cake perfectly.
- It’s easy to make and can be customized with different flavors of frosting.
Gingerbread Cake Ingredient
This recipe uses simple baking ingredients, and most if not all of them are probably in your house right now. Anything you don’t have can be found quickly and easily at your local grocery store.
- All purpose flour provides structure and helps the cake hold its shape.
- Baking soda is what helps the cake rise and is a leavening agent.
- Ground ginger is one of the main spices in gingerbread and is known for its characteristic flavor.
- Ground cinnamon adds depth and complexity to the flavor of the cake.
- Pumpkin pie spice adds a autumnal and warm flavor to the cake.
- Butter provides moisture and richness to the cake
- Molasses is the main ingredient in gingerbread that gives it its dark, molasses flavor, and helps give the frosting its delicious flavor.
- Corn syrup adds moisture to the cake.
- Dark brown sugar adds sweetness and richness to the cake.
- Whole milk helps to tenderize the cake and adds moisture.
- Large egg helps to bind the ingredients together and adds richness.
- Cream cheese adds smoothness and richness to the frosting.
- Vanilla extract adds flavor to the frosting.
- Powdered sugar provides sweetness and texture to the molasses frosting.
How to Make Gingerbread Cake
Making this delicious classic is just as simple as the ingredients that you’ll be using. It only takes a few minutes and a few simple steps!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: Heat the Liquid Ingredients
Heat the milk and brown sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is melted and the mixture is lukewarm. In another saucepan, heat the molasses and corn syrup until lukewarm. Set both pans aside to cool.
Step 4: Cut in the Butter
While the pans cool, cut cold butter into the flour mixture unit crumbly.
Step 5: Make the Batter
Mix the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until blended. Then, stir in the molasses mixture until blended. Whisk the egg into the mixture until well combined.
Step 6: Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely.
Step 7: Make the Frosting
Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy in a medium bowl. Then, add the vanilla and cinnamon and mix well. Next, gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Finally, mix in the molasses and blend well.
Step 8: Frost
When the cake is fully cooled frost the top. Cut into slices and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Mix your cake batter until combined and no further. Overmixing will make a tough cake.
- Fully soften your cream cheese and butter to avoid a lumpy frosting.
- Fully cool your cake before frosting to ensure the frosting doesn’t melt.
Variations
- You can make a classic frosting by omitting the molasses and adding more powdered sugar to taste.
- Try adding chocolate chips to the cake batter for something a little different.
- Top the frosted cake slices with gingerbread men.
What to Serve with Gingerbread Cake
This delicious cake is perfect with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea. You can also add it to a larger holiday dessert spread with all of your classic favorites like pies, cookies, and candy.
Recipe FAQ
Gingerbread refers to a broad range of baked goods that are made with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread can range from cookies to quick bread, cakes, cupcakes, and cookies.
No one actually knows for sure how gingerbread came to be associated with Christmas, but there are some theories. In 992 an Armenian monk brought gingerbread to Europe. From that time and through the 17th century, gingerbread was used for religious ceremonies. In the late 1700s, gingerbread became associated with Christmas. There’s no definitive explanation of why, but many believe it was a natural extension of gingerbread being used for religious ceremonies, Christmas being, after all, a religious holiday for many.
Molasses is a major ingredient in gingerbread and is what gives it that distinct color and rich flavor.
Milk, coffee, and tea all go well with gingerbread of all kinds. Lemon, white chocolate, caramel, and chocolate are also wonderful with it.
Gingerbread cake freezes well and will last for up to 2 months in the freezer. If frosted with cream cheese frosting, it will last for a month.
How to Store Gingerbread Cake
Refrigerate this cake in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For longer storage, chill the cake, wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze it for up to a month.
Try This Gingerbread Cake Recipe Today
This delicious gingerbread cake recipe brings all the flavors of the holiday with a fun twist. The molasses is in the frosting and the cake! It’s an easy recipe that even beginners can make, and it’s always the star of the holiday dessert table. Give this recipe a try, and I know it will become your new Christmas favorite!
More Delicious Holiday Recipes You’ll Enjoy
These Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes are super festive and make the perfect addition to the holiday dessert menu. They are deliciously flavored and topped with a cinnamon molasses frosting everyone will enjoy.
Gingerbread Cake with Molasses Frosting
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup butter, cold and cut into small pieces
- ½ cup molasses
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 9 ounce milk
- 1 large egg
Molasses Frosting
- 4 ounce cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon molasses
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Gingerbread Cake
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat milk and brown sugar together just until sugar is melted and mixture is lukewarm.
- In another small saucepan, heat molasses and corn syrup until lukewarm.
- While both pans are cooling, cut cold butter into flour mixture using a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.
- Once both pans have cooled a bit, add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir until blended. Then add molasses mixture and stir.
- Add egg and whisk until well combined.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely in pan.
Molasses Frosting
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together until creamy.
- Add vanilla and cinnamon, mix well.
- Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
- Mix molasses into mixture and blend well.
- Once cake has completely cooled, frost top of cake.
Here are a few pics that are perfect to save to your favorite Pinterest boards on Pinterest. Also, you can follow us on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram. Remember to “like” or “follow” us on all social media.
Leave a Reply