Gingerbread cake

This gingerbread cake with tangy cream cheese frosting is a soft and moist cake with an amazing gingerbread flavor that is fun to make with your family or friends during the holidays!

Why you should try this gingerbread cake recipe

• Fun to make! Whipping up this gingerbread cake isn't just baking; it's a journey of crafting something special. The hands-on process of shaping the dough, cutting out your own designs, and watching the cake come to life adds joy to your kitchen. This is a great recipe to create with your kids during the holiday season.
• It tastes like gingerbread cookies. This cake takes you back to the comfort of classic Gingerbread cookies. It captures the essence of those beloved treats, giving you that familiar, warm taste.
• Adjustable shape. One of the cool things about this recipe is its flexibility. Whether you go for a traditional gingerbread man, festive shapes, or let your creativity run wild with unique designs, the adjustable shape allows you to make a cake for any occasion.

How to make a stencil

To create a gingerbread man stencil for your cake, start by choosing an image from the internet that you like. Print a gingerbread man design onto A4 paper, ensuring that the shape takes up all the space on the paper. Alternatively, you can draw it by hand or let your kids draw it instead. Use scissors to cut out the final shape. Place the stencil on top of the rolled-out dough. Follow the edges of the paper gingerbread man to cut the shape out of the dough using a small, sharp knife.

Choose any shape you prefer, but ensure it fits within A4 dimensions to create a 3-layer cake with this recipe. Additionally, avoid reusing a paper stencil; discard it after using it on one cake and create a new one when necessary.

What ingredients you will need

For the cake layers

• Flour - Use all purpose flour to make this Christmas ginger cake recipe.
• Salt
• Spices - I mixed ground cinnamon, ginger, and clove to achieve the well-known gingerbread flavor in this cake.
• Granulated sugar
• Honey - The honey you choose will affect the flavor of the cake. So, make sure that you like the flavor of it. Clover honey or wildflower honey will work well in this easy ginger cake recipe.
• Unsalted butter
• Baking soda
• Egg

For the Cream

• Cream cheese - Take the cream cheese out of the fridge one hour before using it to make the frosting. This way the cream will become softer and it will mix with the butter mixture better.
• Unsalted butter - The butter should be at room temperature to whip up with the sugar.
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract

Looking for more Christmas cake recipes? Look no further! Try this Chocolate Bundt cake, this Chocolate roll, or this Chocolate orange cake.

Cooking tips

• Don't burn the honey mixture. Once you add baking soda, the honey and butter mixture will become foamy. Control the heat and keep whisking. You will see how fast it changes the color from pale yellow to a beautiful amber color, signaling that it's time to remove your saucepan from the heat.
• Let the dough chill well. After combining the dry and wet ingredients, you will notice that the dough remains sticky and too soft. Do not add more flour! Instead, give it time to rest, allowing the flour to hydrate in the fridge or even the freezer if you're short on time.
• Roll the dough right on the baking paper. There's no way you will be able to roll out the dough and then transfer it onto parchment paper without ruining the shape of the cake layer. To maintain your cake's shape, roll out each cake layer directly on a piece of parchment paper that will go into the oven.
• Use flour if the dough sticks too much. Flour is your friend. Use it as needed when rolling out the dough. Don't forget to dust your parchment paper and rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking and breaking.
• Don't overbake the cake layers. The dough I use for this cake is not cookie dough! It's similar to the dough I use for my Honey cake, and it should not be baked until firm. Usually, 5 minutes is enough for the cake layers to bake until still soft but fully cooked. When they cool down to room temperature, it will be possible to lift them without breaking.
• Don't serve right away. This cake needs some resting time (like any other cake) to hydrate and become soft and moist. Ideally, leave it in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, 4 hours is the minimum resting time for this gingerbread cake.

How to make gingerbread man cake

Making the dough

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and clove. Set aside.
2. Crack the egg into another mixing bowl and set aside.
3. In a saucepan, add the butter, honey, and sugar. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture starts simmering.
4. Reduce the heat to low and add baking soda. Whisk to combine. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously to prevent the honey from burning, until the mixture turns a light amber color.
5. Slowly pour the honey mixture into the bowl with the egg, whisking vigorously. Then, add the flour mixture and mix until no dry ingredients are left. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 30-60 minutes or until well chilled but not frozen.

Shaping and baking the cake layers

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (355F). Prepare a baking sheet and 3 pieces of parchment paper.
2. Split the dough into 3 even parts. Take one piece and place it on floured parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough and your rolling pin with some flour and roll the dough so you can cut out a gingerbread man figure from it.
3. Cut out the gingerbread figure and transfer the parchment paper with it onto a baking sheet. Take the leftover dough and distribute it among the pieces you will roll out next.
4. Bake each cake layer for around 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool down for a minute on the baking sheet. Then, transfer it onto a cooling rack. 
5. You will have a small piece of dough left after making 3 cake layers. I used it to cut out a small candy cane for the cake decoration.

Making the cream cheese filling

1. Beat the butter with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until fluffy and pale.
2. Add the cream cheese and beat on medium until well incorporated. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl and beat for 10 more seconds. 
3. Place the cream in a piping bag fitted with a round piping nozzle. Reserve 3-5 tablespoons of the cream and place it in a separate piping bag without a piping nozzle. Cut off the tip so you can pipe thin lines with it.

Assembling the cake

1. Spread one teaspoon of cream on the surface or plate you're using to assemble your cake.
2. Place the first cake layer on top.
3. Pipe dots of the cream around the edges of the cake. Then, use the same technique to fill the cake with cream inside those borders.
4. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the piping process.
5. Place the third layer on top. Attach the candy cane (or any other decoration you made) to the body of your gingerbread man cake using the cream.
6. Using the bag with reserved cream, pipe the eyes, mouth, or any other décor on top of your cake.
7. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours before serving.

Possible variations

• Add extra filling - Instead of filling your cake with plain cream cheese frosting, experiment with other types of fillings. You can drizzle Salted caramel, Raspberry coulis, or your favorite store-bought jam between the cake layers to create new flavors.
• Cover with frosting completely - Make a bit more cream and cover the entire cake in the frosting. You can also color some of it in different shades to create a colorful design for your gingerbread cake.

FAQ

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Recipe card

Gingerbread Cake

This gingerbread cake with tangy cream cheese frosting is a soft and moist cake with an amazing gingerbread flavor that is fun to make with your family or friends during the holidays!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 410kcal

Author: Anna

Equipment

• Digital kitchen scale
• Parchment paper
• Rolling Pin
• Stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer and a large mixing bowl
• Saucepan
• Plastic wrap
• 2 Mixing bowl

Ingredients

For the Cake Layers

• 225 g all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground clove
• 80 g white granulated sugar
• 50 g honey
• 50 g unsalted butter can be cold
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg can be cold

For the Cream

• 400 g cream cheese at room temperature
• 200 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 90 g powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

For the cake layers

• In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and clove. Set aside.
• Crack the egg into another mixing bowl and set aside.
• In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, add the butter, honey, and sugar. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture starts simmering.
• Reduce the heat to low and add baking soda. Whisk to combine. The mixture will bubble and expand significantly but will then subside. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously to prevent the honey from burning, until the mixture turns a light amber color.
• Remove from the heat and slowly pour the honey mixture into the bowl with the egg, whisking vigorously. Then, add the flour mixture and mix until no dry ingredients are left. The dough should be sticky; avoid adding more flour! Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 30-60 minutes or until well chilled but not frozen, or leave it in the fridge overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 180C (355F). Prepare a baking sheet and 3 pieces of parchment paper (one for each cake layer).
• Split the dough into 3 even parts. Take one piece and place it on floured parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough and your rolling pin with some flour and roll the dough so you can cut out a gingerbread man figure from it (the slab should be 2-3mm thick). Add more flour if needed while you rolling out the dough.
• Cut out the gingerbread figure (I made a stencil myself on an A4 piece of paper) and transfer the parchment paper with it onto a baking sheet. Take the leftover dough and distribute it among the pieces you will roll out next.
• Bake each cake layer for around 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool down for a minute on the baking sheet. Then, transfer it onto a cooling rack. Don't stack baked cake layers on top of each other if they're still warm.
• You will have a small piece of dough left after making 3 cake layers. I used it to cut out a small candy cane for the cake decoration.

For the cream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer and a bowl), beat the butter with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until fluffy and pale.
• Add the cream cheese and beat on medium until well incorporated. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl and beat for 10 more seconds. The cream should be homogeneous in consistency, smooth, and stable enough to pipe it.
• Place the cream in a piping bag fitted with a round piping nozzle. Reserve 3-5 tablespoons of the cream and place it in a separate piping bag without a piping nozzle. Cut off the tip so you can pipe thin lines with it.

Assembling the cake

• Spread one teaspoon of cream on the surface or plate you're using to assemble your cake.
• Place the first cake layer on top.
• Pipe dots of the cream around the edges of the cake. Then, use the same technique to fill the cake with cream inside those borders.
• Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the piping process.
• Place the third layer on top. Attach the candy cane (or any other decoration you made) to the body of your gingerbread man cake using the cream.
• Using the bag with reserved cream, pipe the eyes, mouth, or any other décor on top of your cake.
• Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours before serving.

Video

Notes

Store the dough in the fridge for 4 days or freeze it for up to 2 months.

Store the cake in the fridge for up yo 4 days.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Gingerbread Cake

Serving Size

 

1 serving

Amount per Serving

Calories

410

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

29

g

45

%

Saturated Fat

 

18

g

113

%

Trans Fat

 

1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

8

g

Cholesterol

 

92

mg

31

%

Sodium

 

259

mg

11

%

Potassium

 

79

mg

2

%

Carbohydrates

 

34

g

11

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

19

g

21

%

Protein

 

5

g

10

%

Vitamin A

 

988

IU

20

%

Vitamin C

 

0.02

mg

0

%

Calcium

 

43

mg

4

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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