This sheet pan Gingerbread Cake is a perfect treat to delight your friends and family with this holiday season. Made with real molasses and lots of warm spices, this gingerbread snack cake has the flavor of real, old-fashioned gingerbread yet comes together with common pantry staples. Top it all off with a luxuriously creamy brown butter cream cheese frosting to balance the rich spices, and you've got an adorable (and delicious) winter dessert for any occasion.
If you're looking for the perfect Cake to make after your Christmas dinner, you found it! There's something so comforting about the deep, rich flavor of gingerbread, especially when you balance it with tangy cream cheese. Since this cake is made in a regular 9x13 pan, you don't even have to fuss with cutting layers or any fancy frosting techniques (unless you want to). Just bake, cool, frost, and serve!
Why You'll Love This Gingerbread Cake
- So easy to make. This gingerbread sheet cake recipe uses the creaming method, and comes together with just a few minutes of effort. It's easy enough, even for beginner bakers. No layering required!
- Tender, moist cake. This cake uses a few ingredients that guarantee a rich, moist texture, like vegetable oil and sour cream. It has such a soft, dreamy texture!
- Classic gingerbread flavor. To get that iconic gingerbread flavor, this gingerbread cake recipe uses real molasses, lots of warm spices, and dark brown sugar. It's so good!
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious Gingerbread Cake, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
Gingerbread Sheet Cake Ingredients
- cooking spray oil - spray the pan well and add parchment paper for easy release.
- fancy molasses - this is essential to get that classic, rich gingerbread flavor.
- water - hot water will dilute the molasses to make it easier to integrate into this gingerbread cake recipe.
- all-purpose flour - regular all purpose flour works great in this recipe; no need for pastry flour.
- baking powder - this will give the gingerbread cake batter a nice, fluffy texture.
- spices and seasonings - the secret to gingerbread cake is the right mix of spices. This recipe uses cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, and ground cloves for lots of spice flavor.
- salt - salt highlights all the flavors in this gingerbread recipe to make it even more flavorful.
- eggs - use room temperature eggs to bind the batter together and get a lovely rise.
- brown sugar - dark brown sugar has a rich flavor that pairs perfectly with warm spices.
- vanilla extract
- vegetable oil - cakes made with vegetable oil are incredibly soft and tender.
- sour cream - the added moisture in the sour cream gives the cake a very moist texture and it balances the sugar and spices.
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- butter - instead of whipping the butter for buttercream, brown it to release a nutty brown flavor that tastes amazing in the tangy cream cheese frosting.
- cream cheese - let the cream cheese come to room temperature for easy whipping.
- confectioners' sugar - powdered sugar will sweeten the frosting. Adjust to taste.
- vanilla extract
- gingerbread sprinkles - these are entirely optional but give the finished cake an eye-catching look.
Equipment Needed
You will also need the following baking tools and equipment:
- 9x13 cake pan
- parchment paper
- a small mixing bowl
- a whisk
- two large mixing bowls
- stand mixer or electric mixer
- toothpick
- medium cooking pan
- heat-proof bowl
- spatula
How to Make the Best Gingerbread Cake
First, let's make the gingerbread sheet cake.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch cake pan with cooking spray and parchment paper on top, leaving an overhang on 2 sides for easy removal after baking. Set aside.
- Prepare molasses. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the molasses and hot water until well-combined. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large sized mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves, then whisk together to combine.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high for around 5 minutes, the mixture should look thick, fluffy, and be tripled in volume. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then slowly drizzle in the oil. After all the oil has been added, beat for an additional minute.
- Alternate adding ingredients to wet ingredients. On low speed, add the dry mixture to the stand mixer in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream and water-molasses mixture. Beat only until the batter becomes smooth.
- Bake. Add the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Now, make the brown butter cream cheese frosting.
- Brown the butter. Melt butter in a cooking pan over medium heat, bringing it to a bubble. Continue heating over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. The butter will start to foam and sizzle, then you will start to see milk solids on the bottom of the pan. Continuously stir until butter turns a golden brown colour and gives off a nutty aroma. Once the milk solids turn a nutty brown colour, immediately remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl. This entire process will take about 8-10 minutes. Allow butter to cool to room temperature, about 5-10 minutes.
- Make frosting. When the brown butter is at room temperature, transfer the brown butter to a large mixing bowl and add the cream cheese. Beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth, creamy, and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add sugar. Add in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, then beat again with hand mixer until combined, and fluffy, about 2-3 more minutes.
Finally, assemble and serve the cake.
Dollop the frosting onto the cooled cake, then spread it out with a spatula. Optionally, decorate with gingerbread sprinkles on top.
Recipe Variations
- Make a layered cake. If you'd prefer to make a layer cake, evenly divide the cake batter into two 9-inch cake pans and bake. Be sure to prepare the pans well and adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Bake gingerbread cupcakes. Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill the cups ⅔ of the way. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until fully baked. Cool, then frost and decorate.
- Add more ginger. For an even stronger flavor, fold in candied ginger throughout this spiced molasses ginger cake before baking.
- Fold in nuts or chocolate. There are so many flavors that go well with gingerbread! Fold in ½ cup of dark chocolate shavings or chopped nuts for a little crunch and extra flavor.
How to Serve
This gingerbread cake is delicious served on its own, paired with a warm drink or some of my favorite holiday treats including:
- White Hot Chocolate
- Chai Tea Latte
- Christmas Cupcakes
- Golden Milk Turmeric Latte
- Chai Cookies
- Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Bark
For more recipes, see our 30 Best Christmas Dessert Recipes.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use the right type of molasses. This recipe calls for fancy molasses, which may also be called light or regular molasses in your grocery store. Avoid very dark molasses, like blackstrap molasses, as it may be too strong for this cake.
- Use fresh spices. Fresh spices have so much more flavor than older ones. Either use freshly ground spices or add extra if you know your spices are more than a year old.
- Properly cream the sugar. Be patient, especially when creaming the butter and sugar. You're aiming for a rich, fluffy texture, but it's easy to undermix or overmix. Make sure the butter is completely softened before you start, and when the butter mixture has tripled in size, stop mixing.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Since this cake is frosted with fresh dairy, it needs to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will stay fresh for approximately 3-4 days.
How to Freeze
This cake can easily be frozen for later, either with the frosting or without. Be sure to let the cake cool to room temperature first, then wrap it well with foil or plastic wrap before storing the cake in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. If you are freezing an unfrosted cake, it will last closer to 3 months.
FAQ
The secret to a good gingerbread cake is molasses and lots of warm spices. These add that rich, dark color and flavor and a gentle warming effect that makes gingerbread so lovely to eat. To make this gingerbread cake recipe, you'll first need to cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla together. Then, gradually add the wet ingredients (sour cream, vanilla extract, and eggs). Alternate adding the flour, baking powder, and warm spices with a mixture of hot water and molasses until the batter is fully combined. Then, bake, cool, frost, and enjoy!
The warm spices and rich flavor of gingerbread can pair with so many other flavors, including even more ginger (like candied ginger), orange or lemon zest, cream cheese, dark chocolate, winter fruits like apples or pears, caramel, eggnog, pumpkin, coffee, maple syrup, toffee, and so much more! Feel free to use your favorite caramel frosting or add toffee pieces to the cake for extra flavor.
Although gingerbread and spice cakes seem quite similar, there is one key difference: molasses. Both cakes are known for having lots of warm spices, but gingerbread usually has more ginger, and a good gingerbread cake must have molasses, which gives it that lovely brown color and a rich flavor.
More Cake Recipes
- 50 Best Cake Recipes
- Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Maple Cinnamon Glaze
- Yogurt Fruitcake
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Apple Cake
- Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
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