Introduction

This Gingerbread Layer Cake is a festive and flavorful dessert perfect for the holiday season or any special occasion. With warm spices, rich molasses cake layers, and a creamy white chocolate frosting topped with salted caramel, it’s sure to impress your guests and satisfy your sweet tooth.

The image shows a three-layer gingerbread cake with light cream frosting between each layer and around the sides. Caramel sauce drips down the sides of the cake from the top, creating a glossy and smooth texture. The top layer is decorated with two gingerbread people cookies with white icing details and small green and red decorations on their heads, alongside a gingerbread star cookie outlined in white icing. Swirls of white whipped cream circle the gingerbread figures on top. The cake sits on a white marble cake stand with a red and green plaid ribbon draped around its base, all placed on a white marbled surface with a warm wooden background. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (70 g)
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature (120 ml)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4–1/2 tsp salt (depending on preference)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (282 g)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (140 g)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed (110 g)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses (170 g)
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (180 ml)
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened (280 g)
6 oz cream cheese, cold (170 g)
4 oz high quality white chocolate, chopped (114 g)
3 cups powdered sugar (390 g)

Instructions

Step 1: To make the salted caramel sauce, add granulated sugar to a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat gently until the sugar crystallizes and then melts into a golden liquid, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low when most sugar is melted but some crystals remain to avoid burning.
Step 2: Once sugar is fully melted and golden, quickly add room temperature butter, stirring until incorporated. Then add room temperature heavy cream and stir rapidly to combine. If the mixture separates, raise heat slightly and stir vigorously until smooth.
Step 3: Stir in salt and vanilla, then simmer on low for 3–5 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool completely before using on the cake.
Step 4: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare three 6-inch cake pans by spraying with non-stick spray and lining bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 5: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Set dry mixture aside.
Step 6: In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 1–2 minutes.
Step 7: Add eggs, vanilla, and molasses to the creamed mixture. Mix until smooth, about 1 minute.
Step 8: Gradually add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately to the wet mixture until fully combined.
Step 9: Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans (using a kitchen scale helps). Bake for 28–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 10: Let cakes cool in pans for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 11: For the white chocolate cream cheese frosting, melt chopped white chocolate and set aside to cool slightly.
Step 12: Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip softened butter until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Step 13: Add cold cream cheese to the butter and mix until combined.
Step 14: Mix in the slightly cooled, still liquid white chocolate until fluffy again. Timing is important so the chocolate doesn’t melt the butter or harden.
Step 15: Sift powdered sugar into the bowl one cup at a time, mixing until light and fluffy after each addition, about 1–2 minutes.
Step 16: To assemble, if cake layers are domed, trim the tops for even stacking. Freezing layers wrapped in plastic wrap for 30 minutes to 1 hour before trimming helps achieve clean cuts.
Step 17: Place a dollop of frosting on a cake turntable and set the first cake layer on top. Spread a generous layer of frosting evenly over the cake. Repeat with remaining layers.
Step 18: Fill gaps between layers with frosting from a piping bag, then smooth the sides and top with a cake scraper to create an even crumb layer. Chill the cake for 20–30 minutes to firm up.
Step 19: Apply a final layer of frosting, smoothing it evenly. Repeat chilling and frosting once more to achieve a smooth finish.
Step 20: Just before serving, pipe caramel drips around the top edge of the cake using a piping bag. Space drips about every half inch. Smooth caramel over the top of the cake with an offset spatula for a polished look.
Step 21: Decorate the cake with the remaining frosting piped into decorative dollops and gingerbread or other festive toppers. Serve immediately.

Tips & Variations

Use a kitchen scale to evenly distribute batter for uniform cake layers.
Freezing cake layers before trimming domes makes slicing easier and cleaner.
Ensure butter, cream, and eggs are at room temperature for better texture and easier mixing.
If frosting is too soft when mixing in white chocolate, let it cool a bit longer to prevent melting.
Decorate the cake right before serving, as the caramel drip can cause frosting decorations to slide.
For a dairy-free version, substitute butter and cream cheese with plant-based alternatives.

Storage

Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat, let the cake come to room temperature before serving for best texture. Avoid freezing fully frosted cake as the delicate frosting may change texture upon thawing.

How to Serve

A slice of three-layer gingerbread cake sits on a white plate with light speckles; the layers are dark brown, slightly crumbly, with thick white cream frosting between each layer and a dollop of whipped cream on top, the sides are also coated with thin white frosting. On the plate near the cake, there are two small star-shaped gingerbread cookies with white icing outlining the edges. Surrounding the plate, there is a gingerbread man cookie with white icing decoration, a red glitter ornament, and a green and red plaid ribbon. The scene is set on a white marbled texture surface. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the cake layers in advance?

Yes, you can bake the cake layers a day or two ahead. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before frosting for best results.

What can I use if I don’t have cream cheese for the frosting?

You can substitute cream cheese with mascarpone or a high-quality dairy-free cream cheese alternative. This will maintain the creamy texture and flavor of the frosting.