• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Plated Cravings logo

  • Recipe Index
  • Air Fryer
  • German Food
  • About
    • Contact
    • How to Subscribe
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Air Fryer
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Air Fryer
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home > Recipes > Cakes & Cupcakes

    Gingerbread Cake Recipe

    ↓ Jump to Recipe · By: Julia Foerster · Posted: 12/12/16 · Updated: 06/14/17 · This post may contain affiliate links

    This Gingerbread Cake recipe is perfect for the holidays! A spicy and sweet ginger cake with a delicious Baileys cream cheese frosting. 

    This Gingerbread Cake recipe is perfect for the holidays! A spicy and sweet ginger cake with a delicious Baileys cream cheese frosting.

    This gingerbread cake is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted! It is so moist and has a perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness. Made with ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and molasses, this cake is a great dessert for the holiday season!

    It may look fancy but it’s relatively easy to make! I made a Naked Strawberry Layer Cake in the summer which is frosted with meringue buttercream which is not easy to make (especially when you only have one bowl for your KitchenAid) but this gingerbread cake is made with a really easy cream cheese frosting!

    And you can even make the cake layers in advance and store them in the fridge or freeze them. The flavor and texture of this ginger spiced cake will only get better!

    This Gingerbread Cake recipe is perfect for the holidays! A spicy and sweet ginger cake with a delicious Baileys cream cheese frosting.

    I have to admit I have a love-hate relationship with layer cakes! I really like making them and they’re pretty. The assembling takes a bit of work but you are rewarded with a (hopefully) beautiful cake.

    Decorating a cake is a bit like stirring a risotto in my opinion. It might sound strange but every time I make my favorite Saffron Shrimp Risotto I feel relaxed. You have to stir it continuously for 20 minutes and you can’t do anything else. No Instagram, no multitasking or the risotto won’t get as delicious!

    Cake decorating is the same, you have to concentrate on one thing and I find this quite relaxing. Ok, it’s not as relaxing in the summer when it’s so hot that your frosting melts and you have to make the same cake three times in a row but now is the perfect season to make layer cakes :-D

    This Gingerbread Cake recipe is perfect for the holidays! A spicy and sweet ginger cake with a delicious Baileys cream cheese frosting.

    Ok, now comes the part why I hate making layer cakes: My husband doesn’t like eating them. He says they’re too sweet for him and every time I want him to taste test, he makes funny faces and refuses to try it like a toddler who has to eat his greens.

    He likes cookies or normal cakes but he much prefers anything savory!

    So what happens is that I end up with a whole cake for myself and neither I nor my favorite skinny jeans are happy about that. Sad times!

    This Gingerbread Cake recipe is perfect for the holidays! A spicy and sweet ginger cake with a delicious Baileys cream cheese frosting.

    This Gingerbread Cake recipe is perfect for the holidays! A spicy and sweet ginger cake with a delicious Baileys cream cheese frosting.

    But this cake is great for guests! You can feed 12-15 people with this cake. It makes a great dessert for a Christmas party or a showstopper for a festive brunch.

    The Baileys Irish Cream liqueur makes the cinnamon cream cheese frosting even more delicious but if you can’t have alcohol just leave it out, it will taste great nevertheless! The molasses and spices add that typical gingerbread flavor and by using oil instead of butter the cake keeps moist longer and doesn’t get dry. And like I wrote before making it in advance makes it taste even better!

    Just bake the cake layers a few days in advance and assemble it on the day you want to serve it or the night before. I use a piping bag to top the layers with frosting, it’s much easier to do it that way in my opinion! I also pipe the frosting around the cake to create an even coat and then use a bench scraper to smooth the sides. Happy Holidays!

    This Gingerbread Cake recipe is perfect for the holidays! A spicy and sweet ginger cake with a delicious Baileys cream cheese frosting.

    pin-recipe-for-later

    A black plate with a slice of gingerbread cake on a grey tableclother. There are pinecones, silver and pink Christmas ornaments and a glass platter with cinnamon sticks next to it.
    Servings: 15

    Gingerbread Cake Recipe

    This Gingerbread Cake recipe is perfect for the holidays! A spicy and sweet ginger cake with a delicious Baileys cream cheese frosting. 
    Prep Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Calories: 410kcal
    Author: Julia Foerster
    5 from 1 vote
    Print PIN RECIPE Rate

    Ingredients

    For the Gingerbread Cake:

    • 1/4 cup milk
    • 3 tsp molasses
    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1 cup light brown sugar
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1 tsp ground ginger
    • 1 pinch ground cloves
    • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    • 1/2 cup buttermilk
    • 2 eggs, large
    • 3 tsp dark rum
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    For the Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting:

    • 2 sticks butter, room temperature
    • 6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
    • 3 cups Confectioners' sugar
    • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 2 tbsp baileys
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease and flour four 6-inch cake pans and line the bases with baking parchment.
    • Warm up the milk in a small saucepan and add to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add molasses and stir until combined. Let sit for a short moment to cool down.
    • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, and spices. Set aside.
    • Add the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, rum and vanilla to the molasses and milk mixture and mix well at low speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients and whisk into a smooth batter. Do not overmix.
    • Divide the batter between the prepared baking pans and bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out mostly clean.
    • Place cakes on a wire rack to cool for 10mins, then turn out onto the wire rack, peel off the parchment and leave to cool completely.
    • To make the Baileys cream cheese frosting: Beat room temperature butter and room temperature cream cheese until fluffy for about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar one cup at a time. Add cinnamon and beat until fluffy for about 3 minutes. Then beat in the baileys.
    • To assemble the cake: Transfer 1/3 of the frosting to another bowl and set aside. Use the remaining frosting to stack the cake layers. If your layers are uneven, level them with a long bladed knife. Use other 1/3 of frosting to apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake and use a bench scraper to smooth the sides. Chill the cake in the fridge before serving, cream cheese frosting tends to get soft when not chilled.

    Notes

    1. To make the cake in advance: Once cooled completely, you can wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 4 days, or freeze for up to two months.
    2. If you don't like cream cheese frosting you can leave out the cream cheese and make a normal buttercream frosting.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 410kcal
    Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Share it on Instagram and tag @platedcravings or #platedcravings!

    This Gingerbread Cake recipe is perfect for the holidays! A spicy and sweet ginger cake with a delicious Baileys cream cheese frosting.

     

    « Easy Mulled Wine Liqueur
    Maple Hazelnut Cookies Recipe »

    Plated Cravings owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my Disclosure and Privacy Policy. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maureen says

      November 21, 2018 at 7:50 pm

      If I use 9” pans would it only be enough for 2 pans or 3? Should I adjust?

      Reply
      • Julia says

        November 21, 2018 at 9:16 pm

        I think it would only be enough for 2 pans if you use 9-inch pans. I would use 3 8-inch pans or adjust the recipe to make the 1.5 x amount.

        Reply
    2. Lindsey says

      December 21, 2016 at 12:08 am

      Just wondering, have you attempted this recipe with fresh ginger instead of dried? I’m curious to know if that substitute would work.

      Reply
      • Julia says

        December 21, 2016 at 12:17 am

        Hi Lindsey, I haven’t tried this recipe with fresh ginger but from what I’ve read dried, ground ginger is more concentrated than fresh so you would need more of it to get the same taste. I think it would probably work with fresh ginger if you grate it very finely and use a little bit less milk to balance out the moisture of the ginger. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Julia Foerster from Plated Cravings

    Hi, I'm Julia! Born in Germany, I call Canada now my home and love to share my favorite dishes with you! Here you'll find hundreds of recipes, all made from scratch with lots of tips and detailed step-by-step instructions. ➝ Visit my about page and ➝ subscribe to never miss a new recipe!

    Favorite Recipes

    • Black Forest Cake. The cake has chocolate shavings on the side and swirls of whipped cream topped with whole cherries on top
      Black Forest Cake
    • French Toast drizzled with maple syrup on a white plate.
      Brioche French Toast
    • A hand holding a butterscotch cookie
      Butterscotch Cookies
    • A loaf of blueberry bread on a white, rectangular plate with 1 slice cut off lying in front of it, garnished with blueberries and a flower.
      Blueberry Bread
    • Close-up of a glass of creme brulee with a bronze spoon cracking its top.
      Easy Creme Brulee Recipe
    • Close-up of chocolate mousse cake with oreo crust, topped with halved oreo cookies, whipped cream and chocolate shavings on a glass serving platter. A cake server is lifting out a slice of the cake.
      Chocolate Mousse Cake

    Top Posts

    • Two slices of moist lemon cake with lemon glazing lying on a white plate with a fork garnished with two lemon wedges. A wooden cutting board with the rest of the cake is in the background.
      Moist Lemon Cake Recipe
    • Stack of Air Fryer Donuts on a plate, both glazed and sugared
      Air Fryer Donuts
    • Fried onion rings in a grey canteen cup with parchment paper. There's a small white porcelain bowl with barbecue sauce next to it and a single onion ring leaning against it.
      Air Fryer Onion Rings
    • Close-up of a piece of apple strudel topped with powdered sugar on a white plate with a fork on a white dishcloth, with an apple in the background.
      Apple Strudel Recipe
    • Chicken wings on a serving platter.
      Air Fryer Chicken Wings
    • A baking sheet with roasted potatoes, garnished with parsley.
      Oven Roasted Potatoes

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Policy

    As Featured On

    Press Images

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with us

    Copyright © 2022 Plated Cravings