Go Back
Rectangular gingerbread sheet cake topped with Christmas tree cookies.
Print

Gingerbread Cake

Holiday Gingerbread Cake is a gingerbread sheet cake with maple buttercream frosting, decorated with soft gingerbread cookies!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Jenn

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake

  • 4 ¼ cups (532 g) cake flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground ginger
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground all spice
  • 1 ½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter softened
  • 1 ½ cups (330 g) light brown sugar packed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ⅓ cups (449 g) unsulphered molasses
  • 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ⅔ cups (400 g) buttermilk room temperature

Gingerbread Cookies

  • 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (165 g) dark brown sugar packed
  • 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
  • cup (113 g) unsulphered molasses
  • 2 teaspoons (8 g) vanilla extract

Instructions

Gingerbread Cake

  • Preheat oven to 325 F (170 C) and prepare 12x18x2 inch sheet cake pan with non-stick baking spray and line with overhanging parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, hand whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.
  • Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or large mixing bowl with hand mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and sugar until smooth.
  • Scrape bottom and sides of bowl as needed with rubber spatula. Mix in eggs one at a time. Then blend in molasses and vanilla until mixed.
  • Then spoon in a third of the flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, continuing on medium speed until all mixed in.
  • Place pan on the middle rack and bake for 45-48 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with crumbs.
  • Set pan on cooling rack to cool completely.

Gingerbread Cookies

  • Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) and a large two cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
  • In bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment or large mixing bowl using electric hand mixer, beat softened butter, brown sugar, and egg until well blended.
  • Mix in maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla.
  • Gradually spoon in dry ingredients, continuing on medium high until blended and smooth.
  • Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for an hour to firm.
  • Sprinkle rolling surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out cookies using cookie cutter lightly dusted in flour. Chill cookies again if they are getting to soft in order to prevent too much spreading in oven.
  • Place cookies on cookie sheet two inches apart and bake 8-10 minutes until edges start to brown.
  • Place pan on rack to cool for 10min before removing cookies. Use homemade easy royal icing or store bought royal cookie icing to decorate.

Assemble Cake

  • Make Maple Buttercream Frosting while cake is cooling.
  • Place cooled cake on desired serving tray. Spread frosting onto cake in desired area, top with cookies. Use powdered sugar for snowfall effect.