Gingerbread Cake
Servings 16 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves or allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups light or dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Frosting:
- 12 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- gingersnap cookies and gingerbread men for decorating the top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 15” x 10” inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper (leave parchment paper slighter higher than the sides of the pan so it’s easier to lift the cake out after). Lightly spray parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray then set aside. (You can also bake this cake in a 13 x 9 inch pan.)
- Cake Batter: In a medium bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cloves and ground nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl use an electric mixer to beat butter, light brown sugar and molasses on high speed for 2 minutes or until well blended.
- To the creamed mixture add eggs and vanilla beating on high until mixture is well combined (about 1 minute).
- Lower the speed of the mixer and beat 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Beat just until you no longer see streaks of white flour. Be careful not to overmix this or the cake will not rise properly when baked and it will have a gummy-like texture.
- To the bowl add all of the buttermilk beating on low just until combined. Add the remaining 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the cake batter on low speed. Only beat the mixture until you no longer see streaks of dry ingredients or large lumps in the batter. Scrap the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan and use a spatula to evenly distribute the cake batter.
- Bake for 35-37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove cake from oven allowing to cool completely before frosting.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract together. Whip for 2 minutes or until smooth.
- Lower the speed of the mixer, gradually adding the powdered sugar beating on medium-low until fully mixed in, then beat on high until smooth, around 2 minutes.
- Decorate: Smooth an even layer of frosting over the top of the cooled cake and decorate as desired. Use a piping bag with a large round top to decorate the edge then sprinkle with crushed gingersnap cookie crumbs and arrange gingerbread men as desired.
- Store frosted cake covered and chilled in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.