This gingerbread cookie is perfect for the holidays! Moist and delicious gingerbread cake with tangy cream cheese frosting.
My piping game is off – I really need to spend some time practicing. It would help if my hand didn’t completely shake anytime I tried to communicate something.
I could never become a surgeon or a professional Jenga player. Needless to say, the most boring and frustrating part of this gingerbread cake were the gingerbread houses.
What am I? belief It would be a quick, easy, great addition and turns out to be a huge pain in the ass. Mostly out of impatience, which is nothing new!
I always have a hard time deciding how I want to decorate my cakes. I usually end up on Pinterest, frustrated and angry, searching for ideas.
The inspiration for this gingerbread cake came from this adorable cake I came across. Very cute isn’t it?? Her gingerbread houses are obviously homemade, but there was no way I could do that.
Little gingerbread houses
So here I am, 10pm on a Tuesday night, searching online for little gingerbread houses, wondering where I can get them locally as quickly as possible.
I can’t even remember how I knew you could buy a mini gingerbread house kit. Maybe you’ve seen him somewhere before? No idea.
Finding these things was easier than expected, but of course, I panicked about it since I had a schedule I wanted to stick to. I was thisClose To head to Walmart at 10:30pm to check if they have them.
Sanity kicked in and I waited until the next day and got them at Michaels. Of course, I see them everywhere now!
The fact that the gingerbread set came with pre-made royal icing was a bonus. This was going to be it So easy! (Yes, correct).
I separated and cut all the pieces so they were perfectly straight and the same size. You don’t need to do this, but it definitely helps with assembly and a cleaner look.
I connected the details of each side and roof before assembling the houses, as I thought it would be easier that way (it was most of the time).
The problem came with the waiting time.
You had to wait an hour (at least) for the ice to dry so you could assemble the houses. Then, once the sides were put together, you were supposed to wait about 3 more hours before putting the roof on – what?! Who has that kind of time/patience? Not me.
I an act Waited a good hour and I was very proud of myself for staying that long. Unsurprisingly, the houses were not quite ready and were wobbly as I was putting them together. For the most part, things went well, except for the one house I wanted to be perfect: the dreaded A-frame.
This was the hardest to put together because it doesn’t have 4 standing walls so you can just put the roof on it. It had to be assembled in one go.
Decorating these pieces beforehand made them difficult to put together. Now that I think about it, I probably should have read the instructions on how to put these together properly. Meh. Anyway, it was chaos.
The front and back kept sliding in, and I didn’t let the decorations on the surface dry enough, so I was making beautiful scratches in them. sigh. Finally, he was standing on his own and I left him…for about an hour (not long enough).
I still have to put the finishing touches on it – the icing around the front (which I scraped off 3x because I didn’t like it) and the snowflakes (which you can’t even tell are there). Needless to say, this stupid thing collapsed on me several times, and I ended up having to completely disassemble it and redo it.
Why is nothing easy? Oh yeah, because I’m in a hurry and don’t follow instructions.
Anyway, after spending much longer than expected in these houses, I finally finished them and left them to set properly overnight.
I wasn’t going to use the A-frame on the cake after all because I wasn’t happy with how it turned out, but it was really the only frame that fit properly on this 6-inch cake. Plus, I still think she’s the prettiest. So, even though it’s not perfect, it’s right there on top of this gingerbread cake.
I used a Wilton petal tip #102 (I think? I’m also bad at writing things down – it was either #102 or #103) to do the front of the houses, but other than that, I used the small round tip that was provided in the kit.
I love how well the petal tip worked! This was actually the first thing I tried on the A-frame, but I decided I didn’t like it, scraped it off, tried a few other methods, scraped those ones, and put the ruffle back on…again. FML.
How to make gingerbread layer cake
Decorating issues aside, I’m so happy with how this gingerbread cake turned out! It’s a simple and delicious recipe. The main thing is to use the right molasses. He does no Use a black belt. Blackstrap molasses is too strong and will overpower the cake.
We can get premium molasses here in Canada, but if you can’t find regular sulfur-free molasses that will work just as well. If the only thing you can find is a black belt, use half black brew and half gold brew. If you can’t find molasses at all, treacle is a great substitute!
Cream cheese frosting
The frosting is a simple and delicious cream cheese frosting. I’ve since revised the cream cheese frosting recipe I use, but both are equally delicious.
The little rosemary trees are my favorite part! Seriously, this gingerbread cake would look absolutely beautiful with just the rosemary tree forest and no house at all. Maybe an idea for next year’s cake.
This gingerbread cake is honestly one of the best things I’ve ever had. It tastes like a loaf of gingerbread from Starbucks, but a million times better.
The tangy cream cheese frosting goes well with the sweet spice cake. The perfect cake for your holiday celebrations!
Frequently asked questions
How can I convert this recipe?
- The recipe as is will also work in two 8-inch skillets. For three 8-inch pans, 1.5x the recipe. Baking time may need to be adjusted.
- To make the cakes, all you have to do is reduce the baking time – start with a check of 15 minutes or so. Recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes depending on size.
- For other transfers go here. Baking time may vary depending on the size of the pan.
- Baking time will vary if you change the size of the pan. Every oven is different so I can’t say for sure what you will need to modify it for. Be sure to check the cakes while baking.
Can I do this in advance?
- The cooled cake layers can be baked in advance, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months. Take it out 2-3 hours before assembling.
- The cream can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for a week or frozen for 3 months. Bring to room temperature and re-whisk before using.
- The finished cake can be frozen (whole or cut and stored in an airtight place) for up to 3 months.
Can I get the measurements in w/g?
- There is a metric option on the recipe card. If you click on it it will convert everything to grams.
- This conversion is automatic and I cannot guarantee accuracy but many readers have had success using the scale option in my recipes.
What if I don’t have milk?
- Buttermilk is not optional and cannot be substituted for milk as it will affect the overall result.
- For best results, use actual buttermilk, but if you don’t have any, you can make your own at home by combining 3/4 cup milk (ideally whole milk, but I often use just 1%) with 2 teaspoons Of lemon juice. Or vinegar and leave it for 10 minutes.
Why can’t I use blackstrap molasses?
- Blackstrap molasses is a little stronger than the premium molasses I used here. It will overpower the flavor. If this is all you can find I recommend using half the amount of molasses and adding an equal part golden syrup. Unsulphured molasses should work well.
- If you can’t find molasses at all, treacle is a great substitute.
Tips for gingerbread cake:
- December 15, 2019 – The recipe has been modified to make longer layers. The layers should be baked until they are 2 inches thick in three 6-inch cake pans.
- This recipe uses premium molasses, which is a lighter, sweeter molasses. Do not use blackstrap molasses. If that’s all you can find, use half black syrup and half gold syrup.
- If you have gingerbread spice mix, you can use 3 3/4 teaspoons of it in place of the spices in the cake mix.
- If you plan to make gingerbread houses as decoration, learn from my mistakes and let them set properly between stages.
- Learn how to keep cakes moist using simple syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake nicely and flat, check out my tips here.
Gingerbread cake
This gingerbread cookie is perfect for the holidays! Moist and delicious gingerbread cake with tangy cream cheese frosting.
Shares 12
Calories 543Kcal
ingredients
directions
Gingerbread cake:
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 6-inch cake circles and line with parchment paper.
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In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
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Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add sugars and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
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Reduce the speed and add the eggs one at a time, incorporating completely after each addition. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix until the ingredients are combined.
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Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Complete merging after each addition. Don’t over mix.
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Distribute the mixture evenly into the prepared molds. Smooth the peaks with a spatula.
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Bake for approx. For 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
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Place the cake on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then turn it over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
crowd:
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Place a single layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with 2/3 cup of frosting. Repeat with the remaining layers and spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake until it is crumbly. Chill for 20 minutes. Decorate the cake in a rustic style using the remaining buttercream.
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Top with gingerbread and rosemary sprigs if desired.
Calories: 543KcalCarbohydrates: 68gprotein: 4gfat: 29gSaturated fat: 17gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 176mgPotassium: 330mgsugar: 55gVitamin A: 960IUCalcium: 97mgiron: 1.7mg
Nutritional information and measurement conversions are automatically calculated. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify this using your favorite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.
Updated November 1, 2022. Originally published November 27, 2016.
2022-11-01 13:00:00
