If you want a stunning and absolutely delicious holiday cake that everyone will love then this Gingerbread Layer Cake is just for you.
Three layers of a gingerbread spiced cake separated and covered by a delicious cinnamon-spiced buttercream and topped with mini gingerbread men. The perfect Christmas treat to have at your dessert table.
Gingerbread is one of my favorite flavors, so it makes this Gingerbread Cake one of my absolute favorite cakes ever. With 3 layers you really can’t go wrong and you will be grinning after each and every bite.
When I serve this cake during the holidays it’s not just a dessert it is a talking piece. It is not only a delicious cake it is a pretty centerpiece that you will want everyone to look at and moreover eat because they will not be able to get enough.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- With pantry staple ingredients and holiday spices, this cake has all the things an average baker would have in their pantry.
- With three layers this cake can serve more people.
- You can swap out gingerbread men with gingersnaps if you cannot find them in stores.
GINGERBREAD LAYER CAKE INGREDIENTS
The base of this cake is made with traditional cake ingredients but then it is spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and molasses, your normal and delicious gingerbread ingredients.
The frosting consists of butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, and cinnamon and is whipped until it is light and fluffy. The perfect spreadable frosting for any layer cake.
It is then topped off with a caramel drizzle, swirls of frosting, and cute little gingerbread men that just screams Christmas in my eyes.
HOW TO MAKE GINGERBREAD LAYER CAKE
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and prepare three 8-inch cake pans. In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, cream together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Replace the paddle with a whisk attachment and add the molasses, sour cream, and milk and whisk until well combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix well until there are no dry spots and everything is combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and give a final whisk to make sure everything is combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare the frosting, then take one of the cake layers and place it on a cake stand or serving board. Top with about 1⁄2 to 3/4 cup frosting and smooth evenly. Repeat with each layer of cake.
- Apply a crumb coat of frosting all over the outside of the cake and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly hardened. Apply the remaining frosting on the outside of your cake. Add a caramel drip and pipe the remaining frosting on the top of the cake if you wish.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What kind of molasses do I use?
We use unsulfured molasses in this recipe, there is no need to buy any expensive molasses for this.
How do I know when my cakes are done?
They will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and when the top of the cake is pressed it springs back.
What is a crumb coat?
A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that goes on the outside of cakes to seal in the crumbs. It is then refrigerated to set up so it isn’t too spreadable.
You then remove the cake from the refrigerator and frost the remaining cake and this way the crumbs are already sealed in tight with that crumb coat you don’t have to worry about crumbs ending up in your finished frosted cake.
How To Store
This cake can remain at room temperature for about 2 days when properly stored in an airtight container such as a cake carrier. Since it does not contain any fruit or cream cheese it is perfectly fine being left out.
If you want to refrigerate the cake to last longer, store it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. It should last for about 3 to 4 days.
If you are making this cake ahead of time but are not serving until a later date then you can freeze each layer of the cakes separately.
Bake the cakes according to the directions and then cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap individually and place in the freezer, these will last for up to 3 months.
Let them defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then prepare the frosting and decorate the cake.
If you are looking for the perfect holiday cake then you can’t go wrong with this Gingerbread Cake! It’s a fun, pretty, tasty, and just all around an amazing dessert.
OTHER HOLIDAY CAKES:
- Funfetti Sugar Cookie Dough Cake – A tasty sprinkle laden cake separated by delicious sugar cookie dough.
- Peppermint Cocoa Cake – Chocolate cake layered and frosted with a chocolate peppermint buttercream frosting!
- Black Forest Cake – Layers of chocolate cake, cherry pie filling, and whipped cream, you can’t go wrong with this cake.
- Boozy Bourbon Caramel Spice Cake – Bourbon spiced cake, caramel cream cheese frosting, and a bourbon caramel sauce, how can you go wrong?
Gingerbread Layer Cake
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Gingerbread Layer Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup molasses
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
Frosting:
- 2¼ cups butter softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Caramel sauce and gingerbread men for topping
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare THREE 8-inch cake pans by coating with vegetable shortening and dust with flour and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.2½ cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla for 1 to 2 minutes.3 large eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, ¾ cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Replace the paddle with a whisk attachment and add the molasses, sour cream, and milk and mix until well combined.¾ cup molasses, ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup whole milk
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix well until there are no dry spots and everything is combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and give a final whisk to make sure everything is combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes and then flip them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- While the cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting by adding the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.2¼ cups butter
- Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until combined.2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Add the in the powdered sugar one cup at a time fully incorporating after each addition.4½ cups powdered sugar
- Add the heavy cream and slowly increase the speed to high and whisk on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until you get a nice “whipped” consistency.3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Assembly
- Take one layer of cake and place it on a cake stand or serving board. Top with ½ to ¾ cup of frosting and smooth evenly over the cake. Repeat with each layer of cake.
- Apply a crumb coat of frosting all over the outside of the cake and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly hardened.
- Apply the remaining frosting on the outside of the cake and add a caramel drip and pipe the remaining frosting on the top of the cake as desired.Caramel sauce and gingerbread men for topping
Rebecca Hubbell says
I will be sure to fix that, thanks for letting me know!
R Lewis says
Also, for those in NZ, I used golden syrup instead of molasses and the cakes taste delicious to me 🙂
R Lewis says
Delicious recipe and very easy except for one problem with the instructions – it doesn’t say when to add the oil which I just put it in with the other wet ingredients the first time I made these but the second time I completely forgot as was following through the instructions.