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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

    By Susan Ensley · Dec 4, 2024

    Jump to Recipe
    Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

    Indulge in the warm, spicy flavors of the holiday season with this decadent Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting. Layers of moist gingerbread cake are sandwiched together with a rich, creamy molasses cream cheese frosting. Perfect for holiday gatherings or a special treat for yourself, this show-stopping cake is sure to impress.

    Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
    • Steps to Make Gingerbread Cake
    • Steps to Make the Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting
    • To Assemble the Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Other Great Christmas Desserts
    • Recipe

    Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need

    Ingredients for Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

    Steps to Make Gingerbread Cake

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper and set aside until ready to use. In a medium bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and Kosher salt. Set aside until ready to use.
    adding dry ingredients to bowl
    1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Then, add the dark brown sugar and beat until fluffy.
    adding brown sugar to butter
    1. Add the molasses, vanilla extract, and eggs, beat until well combined.
    adding molasses, vanilla extract and eggs
    1. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and water alternately, beginning with the flour mixture, about a cup at a time.
    adding flour mixture
    1. Add the water about ⅓ of a cup at a time, alternating with the flour mixture and ending with the water, scraping the bowl after each addition.
    adding water
    1. Use a large ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans.
    filling prepared pans with batter
    1. Use a silicone spatula to smooth the batter into an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    smoothing batter
    1. Remove the pans from the oven and place the pans on a wire cooling rack.
    removing pans from oven
    1. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes. Then carefully remove them from the pans and allow them to cool completely, right side up, on cooling racks. If the cakes are upside down, the tops will stick to the cooling racks and damage the cakes.
    cakes out of pans

    Steps to Make the Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

    1. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
    beating butter and cream cheese
    1. Add the molasses and vanilla extract, beat on low until well combined.
    adding molasses and vanilla extract for frosting
    1. Add the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl.
    adding powdered sugar for frosting
    1. Add the milk and beat well.
    adding milk

    To Assemble the Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

    1. Fit a disposable piping bag with a large 1M star tip. Then, using a large ice cream scoop, add about one cup of frosting to the bag. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
      Place a small amount of frosting on the center of a cardboard cake round to hold the cake in place. Then, place one of the layers right side up on the center of the round. Using a large ice cream scoop, add about a cup of frosting to the top of the cake.
    adding frosting to first layer
    1. Use an icing spatula to smooth the frosting into a smooth layer.
    smoothing first layer of frosting
    1. Place the top layer on top of the frosting, upside down. Then, cover the entire outside of the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Then, place the cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
    adding crumb coat frosting
    1. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Coat the entire outside of the cake in a second layer of frosting. Make sure the top and sides are as smooth as possible. Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
    smoothing frosting
    1. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. One at a time, place a small amount of frosting on the back of Pepperidge Farm Gingerman Cookies, then stick them to the side of the cake. Next, sprinkle the top with festive holiday sprinkles, press them into the frosting to ensure they stick. Remove the piping bag from the refrigerator and knead it in your hands for about a minute. Then, pipe a boarder around the top. Store covered until ready to serve.
    decorating outside of cake

    This Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect holiday dessert to warm your heart and satisfy your sweet tooth. With its rich flavors and stunning presentation, it's sure to impress your family and friends.

    Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

    Other Great Christmas Desserts

    • Italian Cream cake
      Italian Cream Cake - A Southern Classic
    • White Chocolate cranberry Cheesecake
      White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake
    • Christmas Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
      Christmas Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
    • Copycat Little Debbie Christmas Tree Snack Cakes and Cake Balls
      Copycat Little Debbie Christmas Tree Snack Cakes and Cake Balls

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    Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

    Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

    Susan Ensley
    Indulge in the warm, spicy flavors of the holiday season with this Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting.
    5 from 3 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hour hr
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
    Course Cakes, Christmas, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16
    Calories 721 kcal

    Equipment

    • 2 9-inch cake pans
    • Parchment paper
    • Electric hand mixer
    • 2 wire cooling racks
    • large ice cream scoop
    • Silicone Spatula
    • offset spatula

    Ingredients

    For Gingerbread Cake

    • 3 c All-Purpose Flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
    • 1 ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
    • 1 c Unsalted Butter room-temperature
    • ¾ c Dark Brown Sugar
    • 1 c Molasses
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 2 large Eggs room-temperature
    • 1 c Water

    For Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

    • 16 oz Full Fat Cream Cheese room-temperature
    • ½ c Unsalted Butter room-temperature
    • ¼ c Molasses
    • 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 8 c Powdered Sugar
    • 2 teaspoon Whole Milk room-temperature

    To Decorate the Cake

    • 12 Pepperidge Farm Gingerman Cookies
    • Festive Holiday Sprinkles

    Instructions
     

    Steps to Make Gingerbread Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper and set aside until ready to use.
    • In a medium bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and Kosher salt. Set aside until ready to use.
    • Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Then, add the dark brown sugar and beat until fluffy.
    • Add the molasses, vanilla extract, and eggs, beat until well combined.
    • Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and water alternately, beginning with the flour mixture, about a cup at a time. And ending with the water, about ⅓ of a cup at a time. Scrape the bowl after each addition.
    • Use a large ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Use a silicone spatula to smooth the batter into an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • Remove the pans from the oven and place the pans on a wire cooling rack. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes. Then carefully remove them from the pans and allow them to cool completely, right side up, on cooling racks. If the cakes are upside down, the tops will stick to the cooling racks and damage the cakes.

    Steps to Make the Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

    • In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the molasses and vanilla extract, beat on low until well combined.
    • Add the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl. Add the milk and beat well.

    To Assemble the Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

    • Fit a disposable piping bag with a large 1M star tip. Then, using a large ice cream scoop, add about one cup of frosting to the bag. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
    • Place a small amount of frosting on the center of a cardboard cake round to hold the cake in place. Then, place one of the layers right side up on the center of the round. Using a large ice cream scoop, add about a cup of frosting to the top of the cake.
    • Use an offset icing spatula to smooth the frosting into a smooth layer.
    • Place the top layer on top of the frosting, upside down. Then, cover the entire outside of the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
    • Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Coat the entire outside of the cake in a second layer of frosting. Make sure the top and sides are as smooth as possible. Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
    • Remove the cake from the refrigerator. One at a time, place a small amount of frosting on the back of Pepperidge Farm Gingerman Cookies, then stick them to the side of the cake. Next, sprinkle the top with festive holiday sprinkles, press them into the frosting to ensure they stick.
    • Remove the piping bag from the refrigerator and kneed it in your hands for about a minute. Then, pipe a boarder around the top. Store covered until ready to serve.
    • Yield: 16 servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 721kcalCarbohydrates: 114gProtein: 5gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 286mgPotassium: 524mgFiber: 1gSugar: 91gVitamin A: 948IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword Gingerbread Layer Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @PudgeFactor or tag #pudgefactor

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    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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