Gingerbread Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Celebrate the season with the ultimate holiday showstopper—gingerbread cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting. This cozy dessert combines the nostalgic spices of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove with the deep richness of molasses, creating a gingerbread cake that’s as fragrant as it is flavorful. Layered with a luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting, often called the best frosting for gingerbread cake, and adorned with sparkling sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs, it’s a treat that looks as magical as it tastes. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this gingerbread cake recipe is sure to bring warmth, cheer, and plenty of second helpings to your table.
How To Make A Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Start by preparing the cake pans and preheating the oven. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including flour, warm spices and leavening agents. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then blend in molasses and eggs. Gradually add the dry ingredients, alternating with milk, until the batter is smooth and well combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, brown the butter in a saucepan until golden and fragrant, then let chill until slightly firm. Beat the brown butter with cream cheese until smooth, then mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy.
For the garnish, simmer cranberries and rosemary in a simple syrup. Once cooled, roll cranberries and rosemary in sugar to create a sparkling finish. Assemble the cake by layering it with generous swirls of frosting and topping with sugared cranberries and rosemary for a festive, wintry look.
10min
Prep time
18min
Cook time
6
Servings
Gingerbread Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Celebrate the season with the ultimate holiday showstopper—gingerbread cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting. This cozy dessert combines the nostalgic spices of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove with the deep richness of molasses, creating a gingerbread cake that’s as fragrant as it is flavorful. Layered with a luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting, often called the best frosting for gingerbread cake, and adorned with sparkling sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs, it’s a treat that looks as magical as it tastes. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this gingerbread cake recipe is sure to bring warmth, cheer, and plenty of second helpings to your table.
How To Make A Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Start by preparing the cake pans and preheating the oven. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including flour, warm spices and leavening agents. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then blend in molasses and eggs. Gradually add the dry ingredients, alternating with milk, until the batter is smooth and well combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, brown the butter in a saucepan until golden and fragrant, then let chill until slightly firm. Beat the brown butter with cream cheese until smooth, then mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy.
For the garnish, simmer cranberries and rosemary in a simple syrup. Once cooled, roll cranberries and rosemary in sugar to create a sparkling finish. Assemble the cake by layering it with generous swirls of frosting and topping with sugared cranberries and rosemary for a festive, wintry look.
Celebrate the season with the ultimate holiday showstopper—gingerbread cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting. This cozy dessert combines the nostalgic spices of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove with the deep richness of molasses, creating a gingerbread cake that’s as fragrant as it is flavorful. Layered with a luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting, often called the best frosting for gingerbread cake, and adorned with sparkling sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs, it’s a treat that looks as magical as it tastes. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this gingerbread cake recipe is sure to bring warmth, cheer, and plenty of second helpings to your table.
How To Make A Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Start by preparing the cake pans and preheating the oven. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including flour, warm spices and leavening agents. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then blend in molasses and eggs. Gradually add the dry ingredients, alternating with milk, until the batter is smooth and well combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, brown the butter in a saucepan until golden and fragrant, then let chill until slightly firm. Beat the brown butter with cream cheese until smooth, then mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy.
For the garnish, simmer cranberries and rosemary in a simple syrup. Once cooled, roll cranberries and rosemary in sugar to create a sparkling finish. Assemble the cake by layering it with generous swirls of frosting and topping with sugared cranberries and rosemary for a festive, wintry look.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2, 9-inch cake pans with butter and line with parchment paper rounds.
Whisk flour, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, clove and baking soda together in a large bowl until combined. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in molasses until combined. With the mixer running, beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Nest, with the mixer still running, beat in flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the milk until everything is well-incorporated and batter is smooth.
Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before inverting cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For Frosting
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking frequently, until butter is frothy, deep golden-brown and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer butter to a heat-safe bowl and refrigerate until butter has hardened, about 15 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and brown butter on low speed, scraping down the sides as needed, until combined and smooth. Add sugar, salt and vanilla and beat until combined. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
For Garnishes and Assembly
Bring water and 3/4 cup sugar to a boil in small saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat and stir in cranberries and rosemary sprigs. Let sit until syrup cools completely, about 30 minutes. Place remaining sugar in small bowl or plate. Pat cranberries and rosemary dry with a paper towel. Coat cranberries and rosemary in sugar. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined rimmed baking sheet. Let sit at room temperature until cranberries and rosemary are completely dry.
Once cakes have cooled, create a flat cake surface by removing a 1/4-inch from the crown of the cake.
Transfer one cake to a cake stand. Using an offset spatula, spread 1 1/2 to 2 cups of frosting evenly over the top, right to the edge of the cake. Place the remaining cake layer on top, pressing gently to adhere. Spread remaining icing decoratively on top of cake. Stick rosemary sprigs decoratively into the top of the cake to resemble trees. Garnish with cranberries. Slice and serve.
