Warm and inviting, gingerbread is a must-have flavor for winter holidays. This light and tender gingerbread cake is perfectly sweetened and has the best blend of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and molasses. This ginger cake takes just like your favorite Christmas gingerbread cookies but in cake form! If you love gingerbread, be sure to try my gingerbread granola recipe too. You can enjoy all of this goodness for breakfast, any time of the year!
Why You’ll Love This Gingerbread Cake Recipe
Ingredients In Gingerbread Cake
Here’s what you need to make this holiday ginger cake recipe: Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt: These ingredients are found in most cake recipes, and make up the bulk of the dry ingredients. Spices: Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg give the cake exactly the right gingerbread flavor. Unsulphured Molasses: Be sure not to buy “robust” or “blackstrap” molasses, as they will be too strong and overpowering for this recipe. You’ll also need some hot water to thin out the molasses for the cake batter. Butter: Use unsalted butter that you’ve softened at room temperature. Granulated Sugar: This cake isn’t overly sweet, but the amount of sugar in the recipe is perfect. Eggs: Let your eggs sit out at room temperature before mixing the cake batter. This helps the ingredients to incorporate better. Vanilla Extract: A key ingredient in most baked goods. I always use pure vanilla extract. Cream Cheese Frosting: If you’d like to frost your ginger cake, you’ll need cream cheese, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and confectioners sugar.
How To Make Gingerbread Cake
Before you get started, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and grease a 9×13-inch pan with baking spray.
Recipe Tips
Use the right type of molasses. I like Grandma’s Original molasses in this recipe. I once accidentally made a cake using blackstrap molasses and it turned out very bitter and strong. Look for light or regular molasses for baking this cake. Instead of frosting, top the cooled cake with a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar, or serve slices of ginger cake with homemade Vanilla Sauce instead. Let it cool. Frosting on a warm cake is a recipe for a melty disaster! Be sure that your cake has had enough time to cool down completely before adding any sort of toppings. Make extra frosting. The recipe here makes just enough frosting to cover a 9×13-inch cake, but you can also make a full batch of cinnamon cream cheese frosting, and save the rest of it to use on cupcakes, carrot cake, or pumpkin cookies. Store the extra frosting in an airtight container for up to 3 months! Make it fun. Christmas Sprinkles add a festive, yet sophisticated touch
Storing Tips
Without frosting, this gingerbread cake will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container. If you have frosted the cake, be sure to store it in the fridge instead.
What To Serve With Gingerbread Cake
If you’re making gingerbread cake, you’re probably in the Christmas season or planning for it, so be sure to check out all of my holiday recipes! You’ll find ideas for Christmas dinner, Christmas Cookies, and plenty of festive holiday appetizers and desserts. Here are a few of my favorite Christmas Recipes: For dinner, learn how to make the perfect Prime Rib roast, and serve it with creamy Asparagus Casserole and Mashed Potatoes. Holiday parties require easy and delicious appetizers, and I love making Ham and Cheese Sliders and a Christmas Tree Cheese Ball to share. Set out a big bowl of Christmas Punch and everyone is sure to have a great time! Ready to make cookies? You have to try my classic Snickerdoodles, and Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies this year. Gingerbread Cake is the perfect holiday dessert, but also delicious anytime you have a craving for a warm, comforting, and easy-to-bake cake! Save this recipe by Pinning it. © Little Sunny Kitchen
