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This slightly spiced deeply flavored gingerbread cake has a delicious cream cheese frosting. It will be a delightful addition to your holiday table.

Overhead of sliced gingerbread cake topped with cream cheese frosting.

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Ok so let me start by saying, I know plenty of you are NOT gingerbread fans. We won’t ever see eye to eye on this – I love gingerbread and all the holiday nostalgia that goes along with it. But if gingerbread is not your thing, I’m not here to force you.

I still think you should try this cake – something about the richly spiced cake with the creamy and decadent cream cheese frosting that works so well together. But if you have more of a chocolate cake, vanilla cake, or glazed lemon loaf kind of palate, then please, just jump over to one of those recipes.

For those of you who are not afraid of the gingerbread man, stick with me. This gingerbread cake is the kind of cake I really love. It’s richly flavored, not too sweet, and can be served any time of day. This spice cake is a treat for breakfast with coffee, for afternoon tea, or as an after-dinner dessert.

Have you tried my gingerbread cupcakes? With that scrumptious orange frosting? They’re so good. Here’s a tip – serve those cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting in this recipe. It’ll be delicious.

This recipe is a little unusual from a typical gingerbread cake recipe because it calls for the addition of freshly brewed coffee. It can be full octane or decaf, doesn’t really matter, but coffee adds a depth of flavor and richness to baked goods, particularly chocolate or deeply flavored ones (see my chocolate coffee bundt cake as an example).

The coffee coupled with molasses make this cake so flavorful, moist and delicious that it almost doesn’t need the icing. But, come on? A luscious cream cheese icing spread over the top of the deeply spiced cake. It’s just so good you guys. Don’t wait for the holidays to make it!

Recipe Snapshot

TASTE: Like the holidays!
TEXTURE: Dense and moist.
EASE: Easy
TIME: Under an hour

What You’ll Need

Ingredients

Sugar – Granulated sugar is called for in this recipe.
Eggs – It’s important to ensure the egg is at room temperature.
Vanilla extract – try making your own using this recipe.
All-purpose flour – Cake flour will also work with this recipe if you don’t have all-purpose. Use the same amount in weight measurements.
Cocoa Powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder, from the baking aisle, not the hot chocolate aisle, gives this cake a bit of flavor and its dark color.
Spices & salt – A cozy combination of ground ginger and cinnamon along with freshly grated ginger give this cake the spiced gingerbread flavor.
Baking powder and baking soda – Both are called for in this recipe to help the cake rise during baking.
Molasses – Molasses gives this cake flavor and moist texture.
Oil – To keep the cake extra moist this recipe uses vegetable or canola oil.
Brewed coffee – Adds depth of flavor and moisture to the cake.
Confectioners’ sugar – Makes this cream cheese frosting sweet and creamy.
Cream cheese – Gives the frosting a thick and luscious texture and a tangy taste.
Unsalted butter – I don’t recommend using salted butter. Butter is used in the frosting. This must be at room temperature.
Heavy cream – Just a touch, to thin out the frosting.

Recommended Tools

Slice of gingerbread cake with a fork taking a bite out.

How to Make Gingerbread Cake

This gingerbread cake is easy to make, and will be ready to enjoy about an hour after baking it. To start with, preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour one 9-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, ground ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the coffee and molasses in a second large bowl until combined. Add the sugar, oil, eggs, and fresh ginger and whisk until smooth.
Combine and bake. Whisk the coffee mixture into the flour mixture until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
Cool. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Start the Frosting. In a large bowl using a mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until creamy and no lumps remain, about 2 minutes.
Finish the frosting. Add the confectioners’ sugar, cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 20 seconds then increase to high speed until everything is thoroughly combined.
Ice the cake. Spread over the top of the cake once it is completely cooled.

Gingerbread cake in cake pan on wire rack.

Handy tip:

This is a perfect holiday cake to serve at a brunch, luncheon or as a part of a dessert buffet. This cake can be frozen for up to two months. If you have the storage space in your freezer, make a couple of these cakes, wrap them in plastic wrap after they have cooled completely, then throw them in the freezer. Pull out to thaw the night before you are going to use them and make the frosting right before serving. No one will ever know.

Tips For Success

Coffee: You can use caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. You can also use hot water in place of coffee if you wish to avoid it.
Cream cheese: Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese – the whipped kind won’t yield the same texture and the low fat won’t yield the same flavor.
Ginger: To grate fresh ginger, try peeling the ginger root with the back of a spoon. I don’t know why it works so well, but it does. Grate using a microplane grater for maximum flavor without a chunky texture.

Overhead of gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting

Storage & Freezing

To store: Keep frosted cake covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Frosted or unfrosted cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.