Gingerbread Layer Cake

This gingerbread layer cake is so cozy and festive! It comes together in just over an hour and is topped with sugared cranberries for a stunning finish.

Recipe includes a how-to video!

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 28

Total Time 1 3

Servings servings

Calories 712kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

Ingredients

Cake

2 ⅔ cup (335 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter melted
½ cup (118 ml) Avocado, vegetable or canola oil
¾ cup (177 ml) unsulphured molasses
3 large eggs room temperature preferred
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup (226 g) sour cream 8 oz
⅓ cup very hot water

Frosting

8 oz (226 g) cream cheese softened (use full-fat cream cheese) (226g)
½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened (113g)
⅓ cup (66 g) light brown sugar firmly packed (66g)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar (500g)
1 Tablespoon heavy cream or milk optional

Instructions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease three 8” round cake pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves).
2 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon ground ginger, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Add melted butter and vegetable oil and stir well.
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup Avocado, vegetable or canola oil
Stir in molasses.
¾ cup unsulphured molasses
Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and stir until thoroughly combined.
3 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 cup sour cream
Finally, stir in hot water. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and ensure batter is uniform and well-combined.
⅓ cup very hot water
Evenly divide batter into prepared pans and transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) oven. Bake for 28 minutes or until centers are set, cake lightly springs back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
Allow cakes to cool in their pan for 10-15 minutes before running a knife around the edge and carefully inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

Combine cream cheese, butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
8 oz cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
Gradually add powdered sugar, stirring until completely combined. If frosting seems too thick, thin it by adding heavy cream or milk and beating briefly on high speed.
4 cups powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon heavy cream or milk
Level cakes if needed and decorate with frosting. I used an Ateco 848 tip to pipe the swirls on top of the cake seen in the photos.

Video

Notes

Storing

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Cake may be wrapped tightly and frozen, where it will keep for several months.

Making in Advance

Cake layers may be made up to 2 days in advance of frosting, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. To prepare cake layers any further in advance, they may also be wrapped tightly and frozen until needed. Frosting may be prepared up to one day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will need to be allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred before it will be usable for frosting the cake.

Frosting

This recipe makes enough frosting to decorate the cake as shown in photos (semi-naked decoration and decorative dollops on the top).

Sugared Cranberries

See my recipe here for sugared cranberries if you would like to use these to top off your cake – they make a fun and colorful addition!

Original Recipe

I originally published a recipe for a Gingerbread layer cake with brown sugar & bourbon frosting in 2015. A number of commenters ran into issues with the original recipe so I have tweaked and revised it to be foolproof in the new version you see published here.

If you are looking for the original recipe, you can find the original here. Please note that I am no longer accepting comments on the original recipe.

Nutrition