Gingerbread Cake

November 24, 2024 by Beth Pierce 34 Comments

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This classic Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect holiday dessert. It will remind you of the time-honored gingerbread cake that Grandma made.

This delectable cake is bursting with flavor from molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. It is elegant and simple for your holiday meal or your office potluck.

A slice of gingerbread cake on a singloe serving plate with a fork.

Are the holidays keeping you super busy? It seems like right after Halloween, things begin to ramp up. Are you invited to several holiday parties, or have you been asked to bring something for a potluck? This tasty cake quickly comes together, and it is delicious and pretty with its silky cream cheese frosting. In a hurry? Bake the cake one day and frost it the following day. If you like this recipe, try gingersnap cookies and soft ginger cookies.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

Spices: ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. If desired, you can add a pinch or two of allspice.
Butter: unsalted. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
Molasses: use unsulphured light molasses. This molasses works best in this recipe.
Unsweetened applesauce: If using sweetened applesauce, remove a tablespoon from the brown sugar measurement before adding it to the cake.
Cream cheese: full-fat, please, and not whipped

An overhead view of gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting.

How to Make Gingerbread Cake

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

First, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set that aside for a few minutes.

Cream the brown sugar and butter using a stand or handheld mixer. Then, stir in the egg, molasses, and applesauce with a spoon. Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture, working in increments. Stir in the hot water and blend just until smooth. Pour it into a well-greased floured pan and bake. Completely cool the cake before frosting.

Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Mix in a pinch of salt and the vanilla extract. Add powdered sugar in four increments, mixing well between each. Frost the cooled cake and store the leftovers in the refrigerator.

A slice of gingerbread cake with cream frosting on a single serving plate with a fork with the gingerbread cakein the background.

Preparation Tips

Grease and flour your pan well. I use Baker’s Joy spray, which combines baking spray with flour.
I use my mixer to cream the butter and the sugar for the cake and the entire frosting recipe. However, I stir the rest of the cake together by hand.
Check the cake at forty minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven.
Allow the cake to cool fully before frosting. Remove it from the hot oven and place the baking dish on a cooking rack so the cooler air will flow underneath.

Store and Freeze

Store the cake covered in the fridge for 5-7 days. For best results, eat it sooner rather than later, as it will start to dry out. To freeze, wrap the dish in two layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw and store in the fridge.

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