Gingerbread Layer Cake

Moist and delicious gingerbread cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting! This is the perfect Christmas cake that all your guests will LOVE.

I made this cake for a Christmas brunch with Dixie Design Collective! 

My friends and I got together to create this fun Christmas "Bites and Bubbly" photo shoot and I loved how it turned out. I also made the most delicious Orange Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls for this brunch which are perfect for Christmas morning. Click here to read all about it!!

My favorite way to decorate any cake is with cookies, of course! Use my soft and chewy gingerbread cookie recipe to make cutout trees, gingerbread men or even houses for this cake.

I also love to add fresh rosemary turned upside down to look like trees. Decorating this cake is the most fun part!

We used so many beautiful pieces from Juliska including this berry & thread cake plate.

Happy baking!

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Gingerbread Layer Cake

Yield: 8 inch, 3 layered cake

Author: Elisabeth & Butter

prep time: 45 Mcook time: 30 Mtotal time: 75 M

ingredients:

For the Cake

• 3 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 & 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 2 sticks salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup molasses

For the Frosting

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 8 oz package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or more depending on how strong of cinnamon flavor you want)

For decor

• Gingerbread cookies
• Fresh rosemary
• Star anise

instructions:

How to cook Gingerbread Layer Cake

For the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 3, 8″ pans with parchment paper on the bottom. Grease the pans very well with non-stick baking spray (with flour) or with shortening/butter and flour. This cake is very sticky so the parchment paper prevents it from sticking to the pan.
2. In a medium sized bow, combine the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine the hot water and baking soda. Set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and then add in the molasses and beat to combine. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer to low speed and begin alternating adding the flour mixture and hot water mixture, beating after each addition, starting and ending with the flour mixture until all combined.
5. Evenly divide the batter among the lined and greased pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out with moist crumbs. You can touch the cake and it shouldn’t sink in.
6. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes and then remove them and place the layers on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting

1. In a clean mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add in the confections sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and beat on medium speed for 1 minute until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
2. Frost the cake layers (I did a naked cake but this frosting recipe can easily be doubled if you want to add more frosting and piping). Decorate with gingerbread cookies and rosemary. Store in the refrigerator until a few hours before serving. Enjoy!

NOTES:

This recipe makes 35-40 cupcakes! Recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest.

Created using The Recipes Generator