Moist Gingerbread Layer Cake With Tangy Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist Gingerbread Layer Cake

If you love the warm flavor of gingerbread and want a dessert that looks impressive on a holiday table, this Moist Gingerbread Layer Cake delivers.

Two soft, fluffy layers are built on dark brown sugar, unsulphured molasses and a generous blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The spice is bold and cozy, yet the crumb stays light and airy.

The finishing touch is a tangy cream cheese frosting. It balances the sweetness of the molasses, spreads smoothly, and is easy to decorate with. For a festive look, dust the top lightly with cinnamon and add a few mini gingerbread cookies.

This is an American style layer cake that serves 12 slices, which makes it a great fit for Christmas Eve, a holiday open house or a winter birthday.

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Prep takes about 30 minutes and the layers bake in 28 to 30 minutes, so the whole project fits comfortably into an afternoon. This recipe is adapted from the Gingerbread Layer Cake shared by Julie Marie Eats.

Here is the recipe at a glance.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Three things make this cake a keeper. First, the gingerbread layers are incredibly soft, and they are quick to make. You stir the dry ingredients in one bowl, whisk the wet ingredients in another, then fold the two together by hand.

Second, the cream cheese frosting is delicious and easy to decorate with. It has enough tang to keep the spiced layers from tasting heavy, and it holds a smooth finish without much fuss.

Third, the whole recipe is easy and quick overall. You can bake the layers one day and frost the next, so the cake fits around your schedule instead of the other way around.

If you like these flavors in cookie form, my Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies make a lovely companion bake, and my Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart Cookies round out a cozy dessert platter nicely.

INGREDIENT NOTES

The complete ingredient list appears in the step by step section below. Here is what matters most about each component.

All purpose flour gives the cake its light and airy crumb. A flour with a protein content between 10 and 11 percent is ideal, since that range keeps the layers tender rather than chewy.

Dark brown sugar adds extra toffee flavor and moisture, which is a big part of why this gingerbread tastes so rich.

Baking powder and baking soda work together as the leaveners. They lift the batter and help create that light, fluffy texture.

Salt enhances flavor and keeps the sweetness from taking over.

Eggs should be taken out of the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Room temperature eggs blend more evenly into the batter.

Sour cream makes the cake softer and more tender. Let it come to room temperature before baking as well.

The spices are ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Together they create the classic gingerbread flavor, with ginger leading and the others adding warmth in the background.

Molasses should be unsulphured molasses or dark syrup. This is the ingredient that defines the cake, so it is worth choosing a good one.

Vegetable oil should be a neutral flavored oil such as canola oil or avocado oil. Oil keeps the crumb moist and soft.

Vanilla extract goes into the cake batter, while vanilla paste goes into the frosting.

For the cream cheese frosting you need butter, full fat cream cheese and powdered sugar. Sift the powdered sugar before you start so the buttercream stays completely smooth.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Equipment you will need: two mixing bowls, a hand whisk, an electric mixer, two 20 cm or 8 inch cake pans, an offset spatula, and a serving dish or cake board. A turntable helps, but you can decorate the cake without one.

Gingerbread cake layers

• 315 g all purpose flour
• 150 g dark brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 165 g unsulphured molasses or dark syrup
• 360 g sour cream, 14 to 18 percent, room temperature
• 110 g vegetable oil, such as avocado oil or canola oil
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream cheese frosting

• 300 g butter
• 150 g full fat cream cheese
• 550 g powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste

Decoration

• Mini gingerbread cookies, optional

Make the cake layers

1. Preheat the oven at 170°C or 340°F conventional oven and line two 20 cm or 8 inch baking pans with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the all purpose flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
3. In another mixing bowl, add all of the wet ingredients and whisk them together with a hand whisk until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir everything together with a whisk or a rubber spatula and make sure there is no dry flour left in the batter.
5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the tins and let them cool down completely.

Make the cream cheese frosting

1. Take the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge 10 minutes before starting. Cut the butter into cubes and sift the powdered sugar.
2. In your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 5 minutes on medium high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix for 2 minutes.
3. Add the vanilla paste and the cream cheese and cream everything together with the butter for 1 minute.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, mix in the sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts, letting each part blend in before you add the next. Scrape down the bowl again and give it a final mix for 1 to 2 minutes on low speed.

Assemble the cake

1. Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board on your turntable. If you do not have a turntable, do not worry. You can easily decorate the cake without it.
2. Add 2 big scoops of frosting and even it out with an offset spatula. Then add the other cake layer and cover the whole cake in a thin crumb coat. Place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes so it is easier to frost the cake with the remaining buttercream.
3. Add the remaining frosting and even it out over the cake. If you like, decorate with a dusting of cinnamon and gingerbread cookies.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Weigh your ingredients. The recipe is written in grams, and a kitchen scale is the most precise way to measure. A few extra grams of flour can make the layers drier, and a scale removes the guesswork.

Do not overmix the batter. Stop as soon as the last streak of flour disappears, then use a spatula for one final gentle fold to make sure everything at the bottom of the bowl is mixed in.

Choose the right pan. For the best results, use a light colored aluminum baking pan greased with butter and lined with baking paper on the bottom. Light colored aluminum attracts less heat, bakes more gently and gives you a softer cake. A black baking pan attracts more heat, which can give you a darker crust and a drier cake.

Watch the bake. Start checking at 28 minutes. The layers are ready when a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, with no cake batter on it.

Chill the crumb coat for the full 20 minutes. It sets the surface and makes the final layer of frosting much easier to smooth.

For the frosting, keep the mixer on low once the powdered sugar goes in. Sifting it first and adding it in two parts prevents lumps and keeps the buttercream silky.

HOW TO STORE

Store the frosted gingerbread layer cake in an airtight container in the fridge, and bring it to room temperature before enjoying. It is best enjoyed within 1 to 2 days.

You can also make this cake a day ahead. Both the cake layers and the buttercream can be prepared the day before, which leaves only assembly for the next day.

Keep the cake layers on the kitchen counter wrapped in plastic wrap, out of direct sunlight. Store the buttercream in the fridge in an airtight container. Before you use it, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then remix it in the stand mixer until smooth.

Try this cake the day before your party, wrap the layers well, and you will have a stress free holiday dessert ready to assemble.

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Gingerbread Layer Cake

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Moist Gingerbread Layer Cake If you love the warm flavor of gingerbread and want a dessert that looks impressive on a holiday table, this Moist Gingerbread Layer Cake delivers. Two soft, fluffy layers are built on dark brown sugar , unsulphured molasses and a generous blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

• Total Time: 60 min
• Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

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GINGERBREAD CAKE LAYERS
315 g all-purpose flour
150 g dark brown sugar
0.75 teaspoon baking powder
0.75 teaspoon baking soda
0.75 teaspoon salt
2.25 teaspoon ground ginger
2.25 teaspoon ground cinnamon
0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
0.5 teaspoon ground cloves
165 g unsulphured molasses or dark syrup
360 g sour cream 14-18%, room temperature
110 g vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
300 g butter
150 g full-fat cream cheese
550 g powdered sugar
0.5 teaspoon vanilla paste

DECORATION
Mini Gingerbread Cookies

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Instructions

GINGERBREAD CAKE LAYERS
1-Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven: Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and line 2x 20 cm/8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2-In a large bowl, stir together the: In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
3-In another mixing bowl add all of: In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined.
4-Pour the wet ingredients into the dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir it all together with a whisk or a rubber spatula. Make sure there is no dry flour left in the batter.
5-Pour the cake batter into the prepared: Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pans and spread the cake batter into an even layer. Bake them for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6-Let the cakes cool on a cooling: Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
7-Take the butter and cream cheese out: Take the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge 10 minutes before starting. Cut the butter into cubes. Sift the powdered sugar.
8-In your stand mixer, using the paddle: In your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix for 2 minutes.
9-Add the vanilla bean paste and cream: Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter for 1 minute.
10-Scrape down the sides of the bowl: Scrape down the sides of the bowl and on low speed, mix the sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts, letting the powdered sugar mix in with the butter and cream cheese before adding the next part. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix for 1-2 minutes on low speed.

ASSEMBLING
11-Place the first cake layer on your: Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.
12-Add 2 big scoops of frosting and: Add 2 big scoops of frosting and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add the other cake layer and cover the whole cake in a thin crumb coat. Place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes so it is easier to frost the cake with the remaining buttercream.
13-Add the remaining frosting, and even it: Add the remaining frosting, and even it out over the cake. Optional decorate with a dusting of cinnamon and gingerbread cookies.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 746kcal
• Sugar: 69g
• Sodium: 476mg
• Fat: 41g
• Saturated Fat: 21g
• Carbohydrates: 91g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 6g
• Cholesterol: 125mg