This perfectly spiced gingerbread cake with luscious cream cheese frosting will wow your Christmas guests!
Full of ginger and spice!
OH MY GOSH! It’s almost Christmas. Festive cake time, but I’m really pressed for time to experiment and create a recipe. In times like this, I turn to celebrity chefs! These days, there are so many talented chefs to choose from, but I ended up sticking with Gordon Ramsay’s recipe. Every Gordon recipe I’ve tried has been a hit, so I figured his Gingerbread Bundt Cake would be spectacular!
Gordon’s Gingerbread cake recipe got my attention for the bold and generous spice blend, fresh ginger, and orange zest. I mean, it’s called ‘Gingerbread cake’ so it better taste like a gingerbread cake, right?
The aroma in our house while this beauty baked was inexplicably wonderful. This Gingerbread cake has distinct festive flavours that combine the warmth and spiciness of ginger with the richness of molasses and other aromatic spices. The cake itself is a little dense, but still has a beautiful tender crumb. It’s also not too sweet, which is always welcoming.
I rarely follow recipes exactly, but I only tweaked this one slightly. Gordon uses a spiced glaze for his cake, but I went with one of my old time favourites, luscious cream cheese frosting. Overall, I absolutely love everything about this cake, the way it smells, taste and looks. On the table, it looks simple, but yet demands attention!
After this successful bake, I’m going to add more beautiful Nordic ware bundt cake to my collection. My husband will never grasp my need for various pan designs, and will probably complain about storage space. Well, he doesn’t need to know, as I’ll secretly buy them and then figure out where to stash them 😁
Gingerbread Cake
Bundt pans no doubt make the most beautiful cakes that are very eye-catching and impressive. However, they can be a little tricky to get right! I always take a deep breath and say a little prayer before I turn my cake upside down 😂 Nothing is more disappointing when your cake gets stuck to the tin. Yes, I know that feeling of anguish!
Helpful tips for using bundt pans
Use good quality bundt pans, such as Nordic ones. You can tell by just feeling one, as they’re heavier than regular pans. Nordic ware are made with professional-grade pure aluminun to help prevent warping and the cake from sticking.
Grease the pan thoroughly to ensure the cake releases easily after baking. This will help to maintain the shape of the design. Dust the pan with flour or cocoa powder after greasing to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan. Fill the pan with batter up to three-quarters full to allow the cake to rise properly without overflowing.
Use a spatula or spoon to gently spread the batter evenly in the pan, making sure to fill all the nooks and crannies of the design. Tap the filled pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles trapped in the batter. Making sure not to overbake it as this can result in a dry cake.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 10-15 minutes before attempting to remove it. This will help the cake to set and hold its shape .Place a cooling rack over the pan, then carefully flip the pan and rack together to release the cake. Gently tap the pan if needed to loosen the cake. Once the cake is released, allow it to cool completely on the rack before frosting or serving.
Some more wonderful cake recipes you may like!
Ingredients for Gingerbread Cake
Caster or superfine sugar is a type of granulated white sugar that has a very fine texture. Many baking or dessert recipes call for caster sugar as it dissolves faster and better into mixtures. If you can’t find caster sugar, you can make your own by placing regular white sugar in a food processor or blender. Pulse the sugar a few times until it looks finer, but don’t over-blitz it to a powdery consistency. Alternatively, you could just use equal amounts of regular white sugar.
Molasses has a rich, robust, and sweet and slightly bitter flavour with hints of caramel and toffee. It has a thick, sticky consistency and a deep, earthy aroma. Supermarkets usually stock jars of molasses near the sugar or health food section.
Orange zest has intense orange flavour and taste because of the oil found in the orange peel. Using a microplane, grate only the orange part, avoiding the pith to prevent bitterness.
Ginger – You’ll need a small amount of fresh ginger for this cake. Finely grate or mince the ginger carefully because it’s quite strong in flavour.
Plain flour (All-purpose flour) doesn’t have salt or leavening agents like baking powder.
Ground allspice (Jamaica pepper, myrtle pepper, or pimento) got its name ‘all spice’ because its flavour resembles a mix of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Allspice can usually be found in supermarket racks along with other herbs and spices.
Cream cheese – The recipe requires block cream cheese; not spreadable cream cheese as it won’t give the frosting the same consistency.
Icing sugar (powdered sugar, confectionary sugar) – Icing sugar usually comes in two forms: icing sugar mixture and pure icing sugar. Icing sugar mixture is softer than pure icing sugar because there’s starch or flour added to it. For this recipe, you could use either.
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How to make Gingerbread Cake
Step-by-step guide with photos
Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). Generously grease a 12-cup bundt pan with softened butter (not melted), using paper towels. Be sure to grease the entire surface inside of the pan, including around the tube in the middle. Optional – For easier cake removal, dust the greased pan with cocoa powder, then tap out any excess.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
With a stand or handheld mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter, caster and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale and creamy (about 2–3 minutes). Scrape the sides and base of the bowl, then add in molasses, fresh ginger, orange zest and one egg. Mix on a medium-low speed until combined; then, add the remaining eggs one at a time, mixing well in between. Don’t worry if the mixture looks grainy or separated at this stage.
Reduce mixer speed to low, then add a third of the dry ingredients (flour mix) and mix until incorporated. Pour in half the milk and mix until combined, then add another third of the flour mix. Repeat this step to incorporate all the milk and flour into the batter. Mix just until the dry ingredients are no longer visible, but avoiding over mixing the batter.
Spoon the batter into a prepared pan, and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15–20 minutes before removing it. Let the cake to cool completely at room temperature before frosting.
For the cream cheese frosting
Cream together the butter and cream cheese using a handheld or stand mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, then gradually incorporate the icing sugar. Mix until glossy and the sugar has dissolved, then mix in the vanilla extract and 1 tsp of milk. The frosting should be thick but runs slowly off a spatula. If the frosting is too thin mix in more icing sugar, or if it’s too thick mix in a tiny amount of milk until you get the right consistency.
How to store Gingerbread Cake
Leftovers – Allow the Gingerbread Cake to cool completely at room temperature, then into an airtight container and store in fridge. When frozen, the cake should keep for up to 3 months. The cake will taste best if you allow it to sit at room temperature before serving.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Video
Ingredients
- 250g / 8.8oz softened unsalted butter (plus more for greasing tin)
- 230g / 8.10oz brown sugar
- 150g / 5.3oz caster or superfine sugar (NOTE 1)
- 180ml / 6.1floz molasses (NOTE 2)
- 6g / 0.22oz orange zest (from a small to medium orange) (NOTE 3)
- 3g / 0.11oz (1 tsp) freshly grated ginger ( NOTE 4)
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 360ml / 12.2floz full cream or whole milk
DRY INGRIDIENTS
- 470g / 16.6oz plain or all purpose flour (NOTE 5)
- 3 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground allspice (NOTE 6)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bi-carb or baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 150g / 5.3oz softened cream cheese (NOTE 7)
- 50g / 1.8oz softened unsalted butter
- 205g / 7.2oz icing or powdered sugar (NOTE 8)
- 1 to 2 tsp full cream or whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). Generously grease a 12-cup bundt pan with softened butter (not melted), using paper towels. Be sure to grease the entire surface inside of the pan, including around the tube in the middle. Optional – For easier cake removal, dust the greased pan with cocoa powder, then tap out any excess.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
- With a stand or handheld mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter, caster and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale and creamy (about 2–3 minutes). Scrape the sides and base of the bowl, then add in molasses, fresh ginger, orange zest and one egg. Mix on a medium-low speed until combined; then, add the remaining eggs one at a time, mixing well in between. Don't worry if the mixture looks grainy or separated at this stage.
- Reduce mixer speed to low, then add a third of the dry ingredients (flour mix) and mix until incorporated. Pour in half the milk and mix until combined, then add another third of the flour mix. Repeat this step to incorporate all the milk and flour into the batter. Mix just until the dry ingredients are no longer visible, but avoiding over mixing the batter.
- Spoon the batter into a prepared pan, and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15–20 minutes before removing it. Let the cake to cool completely at room temperature before frosting.
- FOR THE FROSTING – Cream together the butter and cream cheese using a handheld or stand mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, then gradually incorporate the icing sugar. Mix until glossy and the sugar has dissolved, then mix in the vanilla extract and 1 tsp of milk. The frosting should be thick but runs slowly off a spatula. If the frosting is too thin mix in more icing sugar, or if it's too thick mix in a tiny amount of milk until you get the right consistency.
