This gingerbread bundt cake is Christmas in cake form. The cake is full of three types of spices and uses half of the amount of molasses that usual gingerbread cakes use. It is topped with cream cheese glaze and chocolate glaze. If you love gingerbread, you will love this cake for the holiday season!
This gingerbread bundt cake is made using a 12 cup bundt cake pan. I tried to make this in a 10 cup pan, but it over flowed!
I designed this cake to be a soft gingerbread cake. My goal was to make a holiday dessert full of flavor. This cake has ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
If you are looking for more Christmas recipes, try Christmas light cupcakes, Christmas reindeer cupcakes, and cinnamon pecan chocolate chip cookies.
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Why You Will Love This Gingerbread Bundt Cake Recipe
- Soft gingerbread cake- This cake is ultra soft because it uses butter, oil, sour cream, molasses, and buttermilk to make it extra moist.
- Spice cake- The cake is full of gingerbread flavor!
- Bundt cake- Since it is a bundt cake, it is super easy to make.
- Cream cheese glaze- The cake is topped with a cream cheese glaze.
- Chocolate glaze- The cake is also topped with a chocolate glaze.
Ingredient Notes for Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin pie spice- I found this at my local grocery store. If you don't have any, you can substitute with half nutmeg and half cloves.
- Dairy ingredients- Pull these out 2 hours before baking.
- Unsalted butter- Pull this out 2 hours before baking so it is softened butter.
- Oil- You canola or vegetable oil.
- Brown sugar- I used light brown sugar.
- Molasses- I recommend Grandma's Molasses.
- Sour cream- Use full fat sour cream
- Buttermilk- You can use full fat or reduced fat.
- Cream cheese- Use full fat cream cheese.
- Powdered sugar- Make sure powdered sugar is sifted to avoid grittiness.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Dairy free- You can use your favorite dairy free options for this recipe!
- Gluten free- I haven't tested this gluten free. Let me know if you do.
- Buttermilk- You can also do 1 cup of milk with 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes before using.
Step By Step Instructions
Here is how to make and bake this bundt cake. You will need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric mixer (hand mixer). You will also need a rubber spatula, a 12-cup bundt pan.
STEP 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon. Use a sifter to prevent lumps getting into the batter.
STEP 2: In a separate bowl beat butter, oil, and brown sugar. Next, beat on high for 3 minutes. This allows the butter to lighten and aerate with the sugar.
STEP 3: Add in wet ingredients. After you add the wet ingredients into the butter mixture, beat on high for 2 minutes. This adds air to the eggs which will double the cake volume. Don't skip this step!
STEP 4: Alternate flour mixture and buttermilk. Slowly add these in on low speed. Make sure to scrape the bowl. Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan. See below for pan tips.
STEP 5: Bake the cake. Next, bake the cake with foil for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes.
STEP 6: Cool the cake. First, let the cake sit in the hot pan for 10 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack. If you sprayed your pan well, it will come right out. Cool the cake completely before glazing.
Step By Step Instructions- Cream Cheese Glaze
STEP 1: Cream cheese glaze. Beat the beat cream cheese on high speed in a medium bowl. Then, add in powdered sugar and mix until no longer dry and crumbly. Add in the vanilla and milk until thin enough to pour on the cake.
STEP 2: Chocolate glaze. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes for the glaze to set while you make the chocolate glaze. Pour the chocolate over the cream cheese glaze on top of the cake.
Expert Baking Tips
An important note about bundt cake pans. I tried making this cake in a spiraled bundt pan that was 10 cup pan. It overflowed into my oven! If you use a smaller bundt pan, only fill the pan with ¾ths of the batter.
When you are glazing the cake, have the cake be on a wire rack. Then, place the rack on a cookie sheet. This prevents a mess when you are glazing the cake.
The chocolate glaze is optional, but it really works well with the warm spices from the cake.
FAQ
For 12 cupcakes, divide the recipe in half. For a sheet cake, keep the recipe the same.
Yes it can! It will make a three layer 8 inch cake pan. I recommend using a cream cheese frosting to decorate.
Yes. It has to bake in the oven for a long time. The foil for the beginning part of the bake prevents the top from over baking.
Recipe Variations
- You can just do cream cheese icing on top if you want. Same if you also just want chocolate.
- You can use a mini bundt pan to make mini versions.
Special Tools
- Baking spray: I use the nonstick spray that has flour in it.
- Offset spatula: I use this to easily spread the frosting or fillings.
- Bundt pan: I use this bundt pan.
Storing and Freezing
Store the gingerbread bundt cake in an airtight container. Store in the fridge up to 5 days. This cake is best at room temperature.
Freezing
Freeze the cake in individual cake slices by wrapping in plastic wrap and freeze up to 30 days. Thaw for 1 hour before eating.
Other Cake Recipes To Try
Try These Holiday Recipes
- Gingerbread cinnamon rolls
- Chocolate peppermint cookies
- Grinch cookies
- Toblerone cheesecake
- Chocolate truffle cake
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📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake
- 3 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 teaspoon Ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
- 3 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup Oil canola or vegetable
- 1 ½ cups Brown sugar packed light or dark
- 2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- â…› cup Sour cream room temperature
- ½ cup Unsulfured molasses
- 4 Large eggs
- 1 cup Buttermilk room temperature
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- 1 ½ cups Powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 3-5 tablespoon Milk add slowly in until desired thickness
Chocolate Glaze
- ½ cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- â…“ cup Heavy cream
Instructions
Gingerbread Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F Spray a 12 cup bundt pan with baking nonstick spray. Spray very well to prevent the cake from sticking.
- In a mixing bowl, sift the flour. Add in baking powder, salt, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Set aside.3 ½ cups All-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Salt, 3 teaspoon Ground ginger, 1 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice, 3 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- Using a mixer, beat the butter, oil, and brown sugar. Beat on high for 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl.¾ cup Unsalted butter, ¼ cup Oil, 1 ½ cups Brown sugar
- Add in vanilla, molasses, sour cream, and eggs. Mix on low until combined. Switch to high and beat for 2 minutes.2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, ⅛ cup Sour cream, ½ cup Unsulfured molasses, 4 Large eggs
- Add in â…“rd of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk. Mix until starting to combined. Add in another â…“rd of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk. Add in the rest of the dry ingredients.1 cup Buttermilk
- Scrape the bowl. Pour cake batter into prepared bundt cake pan.
- Place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the cake. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil. Bake for another 20-30 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cake sit in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- Using a mixer (preferably hand mixer), beat the cream cheese on high for 1 minute. Add in the sifted powdered sugar. Beat on low until dry and crumbly. Switch to high and beat until smooth and thick.4 oz Cream cheese, 1 ½ cups Powdered sugar
- Add in vanilla and 3 tablespoon of milk. Mix on medium until combined. Add more milk slowly to get to a consistency that you can pour over the cake.½ teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 3-5 tablespoon Milk
- Pour the glaze on top of the cake. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes.
Chocolate Glaze
- Heat the heavy cream in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Heat until hot and steaming. Pour over the chocolate chips. Let sit for 2 minutes.⅓ cup Heavy cream, ½ cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Stir until smooth. If any chocolate chunks remain, heat in the microwave for 10 second intervals until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate over the cake.
Rich says
Should the cake be refrigerated after putting the chocolate on? Definitely making it for Christmas!
Stephanie Rutherford says
I ended up chilling mine. If you are serving that day you decorated, you can leave at room temperature. If it is the next day, chill the cake and bring it to room temperature before eating.
Allison says
Best gingerbread cake I’ve had! It has so much flavor!!!