Gingerbread Cake

Name: Gingerbread Cake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 3 1/3 cups All-purpose flour; 1 TBSP Ground ginger; 1 tsp Pumpkin pie spice; 2 tsp Ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp Salt; 2 tsp Baking powder; 1/2 tsp Baking soda; 3/4 cup Unsalted butter; 2 TBSP Oil (canola or vegetable); 3/4 cup Brown sugar (packed dark brown); 1/2 cup White granulated sugar; 1/2 cup Molasses (Don't use blackstrap); 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract; 3 Large eggs (room temperature); 1/2 cup Buttermilk (room temperature); 4 oz Cream cheese (room temperature); 3/4 cup Unsalted butter; 3 cups Powdered sugar; 1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon; 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract

by Stephanie Rutherford on Dec 2, 2023 (updated May 21, 2025)

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5 from 2 reviews

This gingerbread cake is a one layer gingerbread cake topped with cinnamon cream cheese icing. It is topped with gingerbread cookies. It is a delicious and easy cake for any holiday party.

This gingerbread cake has the perfect mix of warm spices for a delicious gingerbread cake. It is tender and moist cake, so you your guests will want to keep eating until it is all gone! The gingerbread cookies on top make it cute enough to stand out from the other holiday desserts!

For more cake recipes, try Banana Snack Cake, Funfetti Cake, and S’mores Cake.

Why This Gingerbread Cake Recipe Works

Gingerbread flavor- This gingerbread cake has a delicious gingerbread flavor that tastes like the holiday season!
Easy cake- This is an easy recipe for a one layer cake that won’t take up your whole day during your busy holiday.
Cinnamon frosting- The cinnamon cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping for gingerbread cake. You won’t be able to put it down!

One slice of gingerbread cake on its side.

Ingredient Notes for Best Gingerbread Cake

Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.

Unsalted butter- This will be cooked into brown butter. If you decide not to brown it then pull it out 2 hours before baking to get to room temperature.
Buttermilk- Pull this out 2 hours before baking to get to room temperature.
Eggs- Pull the large eggs out 2 hours before baking to get to room temperature.
Powdered sugar- Make sure this is sifted to avoid gritty frosting.
Cream cheese- Pull this out 2 hours before baking.
Molasses- Make sure to use regular molasses not blackstrap as blackstrap molasses is more bitter.

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 – Gingerbread Cake

Here is how to make and bake the cake layer for this gingerbread cake. You can use a stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer.

STEP 1: Brown butter. Use a large frying pan to melt the butter for the cake and frosting on medium heat. Stir occasionally as it continues to cook until milk deposits form and turn amber. Separate it in half and let both batches cool.

STEP 2: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, spray a 9X9 square baking pan with nonstick baking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again.

STEP 3: Dry ingredients. Mix the all purpose flour, ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set it aside.

STEP 4: Beat butter, oil, and sugar. Use a mixer and large bowl to beat the butter, oil, brown sugar, and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

STEP 5: Wet ingredients. Add the molasses and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix it in on medium speed. Then, add the eggs and mix on medium speed until smooth.

STEP 6: Combine. Add 1/3 of the dry mixture and half of the buttermilk. Mix it in on low speed. Add 1/3 of the dry mixture and the second half of the buttermilk and mix again. Add the remaining dry mixture and mix in on low speed again.

STEP 7: Bake cake. Pour the cake batter in the prepared pan. Bake it for 37-40 minutes. It is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

STEP 8: Cool. Let the cake cool in the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Step By Step Instructions – Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Here is how to make the cinnamon cream cheese frosting for the gingerbread cake.

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STEP 1: Sift. Sift the powdered sugar and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Set it aside.

STEP 2: Beat butter and cream cheese. Use a separate bowl and an electric mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese on high speed for 3 minutes. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.

STEP 3: Mix. Add half of the powdered sugar and mix it in on low speed. Mix in the rest of the powdered sugar. Then, add the vanilla extract and mix it on high speed until creamy. Scrape the bowl again to fully incorporate everything.

STEP 4: Decorate. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake.

Optional: Decorate with gingerbread men.

Brown butter cream cheese icing in a glass bowl.

Expert Baking Tips

Properly measure the flour- Make sure the flour is spooned and leveled. If you stick the measuring cup directly into the flour, it will compact the flour. Compacted flour can cause the cake to be dry.
To easily remove the cake from the pan, make sure to first spray the pan with baking nonstick spray. Then, line bottom with parchment paper and spray it again to make sure that the paper does not stick to the bottom of the cake too much. If you miss any spots with the spray they can stick and tear the cake so be thorough.
For high altitudes add 2 Tbsp of flour to the cake batter.

Top view of cake with gingerbread men on top.

FAQ

Can the cake layer be made ahead of time?

Yes you can make the cake ahead of time! Once the cake layer is done cooling, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then, freeze up to 30 days. Pull it out 1 hour before decorating.

Can I use another size cake pan?

Yes you can. An 8X8 pan will make a thicker cake. A 9in round pan will also work, but will be slightly thicker than a 9 in square as well.

Can this be made into cupcakes?

Yes it can! This recipe will make roughly 12 gingerbread cupcakes.

Recipe Variations

No brown butter- If you do not want to make brown butter you can use room temperature regular butter instead.
Extra cinnamon- If you really love cinnamon you can increase the cinnamon in the frosting to give a stronger flavor.

Special Tools

9X9 inch pan: I use metal square pans for baking. I don’t recommend glass pans.
Parchment paper: I use premade sheets of parchment paper vs the roll of parchment paper. It makes baking a lot easier!
Baking spray: I use the nonstick spray that has flour in it.
Offset spatula: I use this to easily spread the frosting or fillings.

Storing and Freezing

Store this gingerbread cake in an airtight container like a cake carrier. Store in the fridge up to 5 days.

You can freeze the gingerbread cake in individual slices. Place the cake slices in an airtight container and freeze up to 30 days.

Other Holiday Dessert Recipes To Try

Try these holiday recipes too!

Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.

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