Gingerbread Cake
There’s nothing that feels more like the holidays than the warm, cozy aroma of gingerbread baking in the oven. This moist gingerbread cake with spiced cream cheese frosting is everything you love about the season—rich molasses flavour, warm spices, a tender crumb, and a nostalgic sweetness that fills your home with Christmas cheer. It’s simple enough for a weeknight treat, yet special enough for a holiday gathering, dessert table, or Christmas morning brunch.
It’s perfect topped with my spiced cream cheese frosting. I use my original cream cheese frosting recipe, but add a touch of cinnamon for the perfect amount of spice that complements the gingerbread flavour. Made in an 8×8-inch pan, but can easily be doubled for a larger crowd.
There’s something about gingerbread that makes you think of Christmas. Every year, we enjoy Gingerbread pancakes for breakfast-sometimes even dinner! And, we add these Ginger Sparkle cookies to our dessert tray! I had to add this Gingerbread cake to the family this year.
Why You’ll Love This Gingerbread Cake
- Soft, moist, and packed with warm holiday spices
- Comes together quickly
- Cozy, nostalgic flavour that everyone loves
- Perfect for Christmas parties, potlucks, or gifting
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake
- Molasses: One of the signature flavours of gingerbread.
- Hot water: Whisking the thick molasses with hot water first helps it blend smoothly into the batter, and the added moisture keeps every bite incredibly soft.
- Baking soda: the lift.
- Flour: the base.
- Salt: revs up the flavours.
- Ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves: the quintessential gingerbread spices.
- Egg: binds the ingredients together.
- Vanilla: flavour enhancer.
- Brown sugar: Using brown sugar adds both extra moisture and a deeper molasses-like sweetness.
- Butter: Flavour and moisture.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese: the base.
- Butter: adds to the consistency of the frosting.
- Icing sugar: sweetener.
- Vanilla: flavour enhancer.
- Cinnamon: complements the gingerbread flavour.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
- In a separate bowl or in a liquid measuring cup, whisk the molasses and hot water together.
- In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and continue beating on high for another 2 minutes, until the mixture is well combined and slightly fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix on medium-high speed until fully incorporated, pausing again to scrape the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the hot water–molasses mixture. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until each addition is incorporated—do not overmix. Give the batter a quick whisk by hand to ensure there are no large lumps (a few small ones are fine). The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the cake is fully set. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center—if it comes out clean with just a few moist (not wet) crumbs, the cake is ready. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until creamy and no lumps remain, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and pinches of cinnamon. Beat on low speed for 20 seconds, then increase to high speed until everything is completely combined and the frosting is creamy. Spread on top of the cooled cake.
- Slice and serve.
- Cover the leftover cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Tips for the Best Gingerbread Cake
- Don’t skip the hot water—it helps create a soft, tender crumb.
- Use a good-quality molasses (unsulphured, not blackstrap) for the best flavour.
- Spice it up: Add extra ginger if you like a little kick.
Other Topping Ideas
I love the spiced cream cheese frosting for this cake, but here are a few other ideas if you want to switch it up:
- Fresh whipped cream
- Original Cream cheese frosting: Just leave out the cinnamon if you prefer less spice.
- Vanilla ice cream
- Brown sugar icing
- Powdered sugar + sugared cranberries
What to Serve With Gingerbread Cake
This cake pairs beautifully with:
- Hot chocolate
- Chai lattes
- Spiced apple cider
- Christmas brunch spreads
- Holiday dessert trays
How to Store
- Room Temperature: Store covered for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate: Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Wrap or cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Yes! Bake in a 9×13-inch pan for 40–45 minutes.
Absolutely—this cake gets even better the next day as the flavours deepen. Just be sure to cover it so it doesn’t dry out.
It’s warmly spiced, not hot. Add more ginger for extra heat.
Gingerbread Cake
This moist gingerbread cake is warm, spicy, and packed with classic holiday flavor. Made with molasses, brown sugar, and cozy spices, it bakes up tender, soft, and incredibly fragrant. Perfect for Christmas gatherings, weeknight baking, or enjoying with a cup of coffee.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake
- ¾ cup molasses I recommend fancy*
- ¾ cup hot water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups flour all-purpose
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ginger ground
- 1 tsp cinnamon ground
- ¼ tsp cloves ground
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup brown sugar light
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp cinnamon ground
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
-
In a separate bowl or in a liquid measuring cup, whisk the molasses and hot water together.
-
In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and continue beating on high for another 2 minutes, until the mixture is well combined and slightly fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
-
Add the egg and vanilla and mix on medium-high speed until fully incorporated, pausing again to scrape the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the hot water–molasses mixture. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until each addition is incorporated—do not overmix. Give the batter a quick whisk by hand to ensure there are no large lumps (a few small ones are fine). The batter will be slightly thick.
-
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the cake is fully set. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center—if it comes out clean with just a few moist (not wet) crumbs, the cake is ready. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes.
-
Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until creamy and no lumps remain, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and pinches of cinnamon. Beat on low speed for 20 seconds, then increase to high speed until everything is completely combined and the frosting is creamy. Spread on top of the cooled cake.
-
Slice and serve.
-
Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Room Temperature: Keep the cake covered for up to 3 days.
-
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
*Use unsulphured molasses: Avoid blackstrap molasses, which is too bitter for this recipe.
-
Pan size: If doubling the recipe, bake in a 9×13-inch pan and add a few extra minutes of bake time.
- Calories include the frosting for 9 servings; you can easily make this cake into 12 or even 16 smaller servings.
Did you make this recipe?
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