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Gingerbread Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
4.6 from 90 votes

Gingerbread Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

This Gingerbread Cake combines spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves with dark brown sugar and treacle for a moist, richly flavored cake layered with a creamy cinnamon-infused cream cheese frosting. Orange zest and juice add a fresh brightness that balances the warmth of the spices. The texture is tender and soft, achieved by mixing butter into the dry ingredients to create a breadcrumb-like base before adding eggs and liquids. It's suitable for a festive dessert or cozy treat, with distinct cinnamon notes in the whipped cream cheese topping.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 10
Calories: 686 kcal
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the gingerbread cake
Dry ingredients
  • 350 g all-purpose flour all purpose flour, 2 ¾ cups
  • 330 g dark brown sugar 1 ⅔ cups
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cloves ground
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
  • ½ tsp salt
Liquid ingredients
  • 200 g butter cubed, unsalted, 3/4 cup plus 1 heaped tablespoon
  • 3 egg lightly beaten, large
  • 2 tbsp treacle (molasses) optional
  • 1 orange zest only
  • 200 ml whole milk 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1 tbsp orange juice or lemon juice, fresh
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp crystallised ginger very finely diced (optional)
For the frosting
  • 300 g cream cheese full-fat, 1 ⅓ cups
  • ½ tbsp ground cinnamon or vanilla paste
  • 480 ml double cream heavy cream) whipped to soft peaks, 2 cups
  • 250 g icing sugar powdered sugar

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Grease and line three 20cm | 8in layers cake tins - or spray with cake release. You can also use three 15cm | 6in cake tins – your cake layers will be taller.
  2. Sift all the dry ingredients and add them to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to combine.
  3. Add the cubed butter and mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs / sand.
  4. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the treacle.
  5. Add the milk, orange or lemon juice, vanilla extract and zest and beat together. Stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl. Continue mixing for a couple of minutes until batter is smooth.
  6. Fold the chopped ginger into the batter and divide between the prepared cake tins.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting
  1. Whip the double cream and icing sugar (using your stand mixer) till you have soft peaks. Transfer to another bowl.
  2. Place the cream cheese and ground cinnamon in the bowl of your stand mixer and whip until soft and fluffy. Slowly add the whipped cream and whip together briefly until combined. Don't whip for too long.
Assemble the cake
  1. Add a generous amount of frosting on your bottom cake layer and smooth. Top with the second layer and repeat. Add the third layer and then smooth some frosting over the top and sides of the cake. You can leave the cake showing through to achieve the 'naked' cake look or do a crumb coat then chill the cake. Add another layer of frosting and smooth over the cake.
  2. Top with meringue kisses or gingerbread cookies.

Notes

  • Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for smoother mixing and better cake texture.
  • Mascarpone frosting can be made by whisking mascarpone with icing sugar and gradually adding double cream to firm peaks; adjust consistency with more cream if needed.
  • Frosting flavors can be customized with vanilla extract, cinnamon, or caramel sauce as alternatives to the cream cheese version.

Nutrition Information

Calories 686kcal (34%) Carbohydrates 67g (22%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 44g (68%) Saturated Fat 26g (130%) Cholesterol 182mg (61%) Sodium 521mg (22%) Potassium 387mg (8%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 37g (74%) Vitamin A 1594IU (32%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 192mg (19%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 686

% Daily Value*

Calories 686kcal 34%
Carbohydrates 67g 22%
Protein 9g 18%
Fat 44g 68%
Saturated Fat 26g 130%
Cholesterol 182mg 61%
Sodium 521mg 22%
Potassium 387mg 8%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 37g 74%
Vitamin A 1594IU 32%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 192mg 19%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.