Moist Gingerbread Cake

This super moist spiced gingerbread cake recipe made with smooth and creamy brown sugar buttercream. The perfect cake for Christmas!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, gingerbread, gingerbread cake, moist

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 870kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

Three 6"x2" cake pans

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake

15 ounces all-purpose flour
10 ounces dark brown sugar
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
1.5 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons ground ginger powdered
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons grated ginger fresh, or from a tube
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
8 ounces buttermilk room temperature
4 ounces unsalted butter melted, not hot
4 ounces canola oil or vegetable
2 ounces coffee room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces un-sulfured molasses I used Grandma's brand
2 large eggs room temperature

Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream

8 ounces egg whites fresh is better, you can use boxed if needed
14 ounces light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
18 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Gingerbread Cake

Preheat your oven to 335°F (170°C). Bring your buttermilk, eggs, and coffee to room temperature. Measure out all of your ingredients by weight with a food scale, I do not recommend converting this recipe to cups. See above for more information on how to use a scale.
In a large bowl, add your molasses, oil, coffee, vanilla, melted butter, eggs, freshly grated ginger, and buttermilk. Whisk together to break up the egg yolks and combine, then set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the AP flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, powdered ginger, salt, and baking soda. Add the paddle attachment and mix on low for a few seconds to combine. You can also use a hand mixer or even a whisk for this.
While mixing on low, add in your wet ingredient mixture and mix until just combined. About 10-15 seconds. Mix with a spatula to make sure there are no pockets of flour.
Prepare three, 6"x2" cake pans or two, 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release.
This recipe also makes about 24 cupcakes (depending on your pan size). Fill the liners 2/3 way full and bake for about 20 minutes until set.
Divide the batter into your greased cake pans. I like to weigh my pans with a scale to see if I divided the batter evenly.
Bake at 335°F (170°C) for 35-40 minutes (for 6" pans, less for 8" pans.)
Remove your cakes from the oven once the tops are set and a toothpick comes out clean. Let your cakes rest in the pans for 10-15 minutes, then flip them out onto a cooling rack. Wrap in plastic wrap to cool at room temperature until ready to stack, or freeze for 30 minutes. Do NOT stack warm cakes. You can wrap and freeze these cakes for a few days before they lose too much moisture.

Brown Sugar SMBC

Any frosting is good, this SMBC, easy buttercream, ermine, whipped cream, cream cheese

Video

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start

1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle.

2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe.

3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

4. Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. You can cover a frosted and chilled cake in fondant if you wish. This cake is also great for stacking. I always keep my cakes chilled in the refrigerator before delivery for easy transporting. Learn more about decorating your first cake.

5. If the recipe calls for specific ingredients like cake flour, replacing it with all purpose flour and cornstarch is not recommended unless specified in the recipe that it’s ok. Substituting ingredients may cause this recipe to fail.

All purpose flour is a plain flour with no rising agents. It has a protein level of 10%-12%

Cake flour is a soft, low protein flour of 9% or less.
Cake flour sources: UK - Shipton Mills Cake & Pastry Flour

Nutrition