Gingerbread Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream
This gingerbread layer cake with cream cheese buttercream is not only beautiful and delicious, but it’s also so easy to make. It’s perfect for the holidays!
It’s finally here, the only show-stopping dessert you need this holiday season. This beautiful gingerbread layer cake is exactly what you should be serving guests at your next dinner party or gathering. The recipe is adapted from my favorite magazine Bake from Scratch and I’m officially obsessed! I think this is the best gingerbread cake I’ve ever tasted, with wonderful molasses and spiced flavor, but still so light and tender. I frosted the whole thing with vanilla bean cream cheese frosting and added sugared cranberries and herbs for a little flourish of red and green.
Get ready to wow everyone with this cake, it’s sure not to last long!
An easy cake for the holidays
My goal with this layer cake was to keep it as simple as possible. I wanted an elegant dessert centerpiece fit for the holidays that wouldn’t take hours to make and put together. This time of year is busy enough!
The cake recipe is simple and straightforward and I used just one recipe for the filling and frosting— homemade couldn’t be any easier.
Cake decoration ideas
The frosted gingerbread layer cake is beautiful all on its own, but to add a final festive touch I topped mine with sugared cranberries, sage leaves, and rosemary sprigs. If you’ve never made sugared cranberries, they’re so fun! Plus they’re super simple and delicious too. A perfect pop of color and flavor.
Tips for this Gingerbread Layer Cake
- I use coffee in this cake to help add more depth of flavor to the molasses and spices in this cake, but it doesn’t add any detectable coffee flavor. If you are opposed to using it, simply swap for water (since coffee is just flavored water).
- This cake can be baked in either 8 or 9-inch round pans. 8-inch will be taller, 9-inch will be wider and shorter. You can use 2 or 3 pans, depending on the look you’re going for: double layer (2 pans), triple layer (3 pans), or quadruple layer (2 pans, then slice each layer in half). Baking times will vary slightly, and cakes are done with the edges pull away from the pan, and the center springs back when gently pressed. Bake cakes only on 1 rack placed in the center of the oven. If baking more than 2 layers, bake in 2 shifts.
- For easy assembly, I completely chill cake layers ahead of time. I usually bake cake layers one day and assemble the next, but a few hours in the fridge will also work. See my tips for storing cake layers.
- Butter cakes have superior flavor to those made with vegetable oil, but the downside is that they can seem dry, especially if over-baked. To combat that, brush cake layers with simple syrup during assembly. It’s optional, but it’ll keep things moist, which is especially beneficial if you’re making this cake a day or more in advance. I’ve included a recipe for a brown sugar rum simple syrup that also adds a bit of flavor as well as moisture.
- If you need a little help frosting your cake like a (semi) pro, see my full tutorial.
- For all of my cake tips, see my post on how to build a layer cake. It includes info on how to prep cake pans, how to bake flat even cake layers, and my favorite cake tools.
Shop tools for this recipe
Gingerbread Layer Cake
Ingredients
Gingerbread cake layers:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, 226 grams), softened to room temperature
- 2 cups light or dark brown sugar (426 grams)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup molasses (255 grams)
- 3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (450 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cup brewed coffee (375 ml)
Cream cheese buttercream:
- 8 ounces cream cheese (226 grams), softened to room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, 226 grams), softened to room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar (681 grams), sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 vanilla bean , split and seeds scraped out (see Notes)
Rum simple syrup (optional):
- 1/4 cup water (60 ml)
- 1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar (53 grams)
- 1 tablespoon spiced rum
Sugared cranberries and herbs (optional):
- 1/2 cup water (125 ml)
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (300 grams), divided
- 2 cups fresh cranberries (200 grams)
- Sprigs of rosemary and/or sage leaves
Instructions
To make the cake layers:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two or three 8 or 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease with butter and flour or non-stick baking spray.
- Beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until pale and creamy, about 3-4 minutes on high.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing and scraping the bowl down after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and molasses.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Add to the molasses mixture in 3 additions alternating with the brewed coffee. Scrape down the bowl as needed, and mix only just combined.
- Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until edges pull away from the pan and the centers of the cake bounce back when gently pressed, about 25-30 minutes.
- Let cakes cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make ahead: Cake layers can be made in advance. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the fridge for 1 month or more.
To make the buttercream:
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla bean seeds and beat on high speed until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
To make the simple syrup (optional):
- Heat the water, brown sugar, and rum over the stove or in the microwave until sugar is dissolved.
To assemble the cake:
- Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and brush with some simple syrup, if using. Cover with approximately 2/3 cup of the buttercream.
- Repeat with remaining cake layers.
- Frost assembled cake completely with buttercream, as desired. Decorate with sugared cranberries and herbs, if desired.
- Store cake in fridge until ready to serve.
To make the sugared cranberries and herbs (optional):
- Heat the water and 1/2 cup of the sugar over the stove or microwave until sugar is dissolved.
- Add cranberries and stir until completely covered with the syrup. Remove cranberries with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Repeat with rosemary sprigs and sage leaves.
- Let dry for at least 1 hour.
- Toss cranberries and herbs with remaining sugar until completely covered. If making in advance of decorating cake, be sure sugared cranberries and herbs are completely dry before storing.
Notes
- In place of the vanilla bean, you can instead use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste.
Should I reduce the temp to 325 and bake longer for flat layers? Or did you already do that and 350 is the right temp for flat layers? Thanks!
Call for vanilla in cake batter but there is no amount listed…tsp.???
So sorry! Some info may have been lost when I updated my site, or maybe it was an error on my part. But it’s been fixed! Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention. Also, when in doubt, 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla is a safe bet. 🙂
my granddaughter and I made this cake on a whim. What a winner!!!! It was easy and very good, the simple syrup did make it very moist. we will be making this over and over again.
This looks so good~ A great idea for Christmas cake!
Hi there! Should the coffee be hot when you add it to the batter? Or room temp.? Can I use my cold brew that is fridge cold? Looking forward to trying the recipe! Sounds wonderful. 😊
Thanks!
This was the best thing that happened to me in 2020! I consider myself a relatively experienced home baker, but I loved your tips on icing the cakes and brushing with the rum simple syrup. Made this for Christmas dessert. Seriously a show stopper. I will definitely make again when we host crowds again in 2021! Thank you!
The taste was delicious and the complements were unanimous. The problems I had I repeated when I made the recipe for the second time. I tried very hard to be spot on for the ingredients for the recipe but the problem was worse the second time. The center of both layers sunk like the air out of balloon. I put knife tip in at 30 minutes so I left it in another 10 but it didn’t make a difference. So the birds enjoyed the cake. Suggestions?
Thank you so much for this recipe! I intend to make it for my family next week. I’d also like to say thanks for including English measurements in the ingredients list! I have no idea what s cup of butter is but so many recipes just use Americsn quantities and presume we all measure like that! I’m so grateful to you as your recipes are lovely and I will be making many of them in the New Year! x
You are very welcome! Enjoy and happy baking!! 🙂
would using cake flour be a good idea?
Sure! The cake will be lighter and slightly more delicate, but should be delicious.
This recipe looks like it is exactly what I have been looking for! Could I substitute coffee liqueur for the brewed coffee?
Hmm I haven’t made that substitution but I wouldn’t add 1 1/2 liquor to this recipe. Maybe a few tablespoons and then coffee or water for the rest of the liquid?