Gingerbread Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

Perfectly moist, heavily spiced + molasses-rich Gingerbread Cake//Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Buttercream

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This Gingerbread Sheet Cake is one of the best things I’ve ever made. It’s deeply spiced, rich with molasses, and incredibly moist — the kind of cake that makes you want a second slice before you’ve even finished the first. The crumb is soft and tender, and the warming spices come through in every bite, making it exactly the kind of gingerbread that feels festive, comforting, and completely satisfying. There’s no tiptoeing around the flavour here — it’s bold, full, and unapologetically gingerbread.

I adapted my classic gingerbread loaf into this single-layer sheet cake because I wanted it reimagined as a dessert rather than a breakfast or tea time-style loaf. Baking it this way makes it perfect for bringing to a holiday party or setting on a Christmas dessert table. It’s super easy to make, and still has all the richness, spice, and depth of the original loaf — just in a more celebratory format.

The cream cheese buttercream is slightly sweeter and thicker than the version I used for the loaf, which makes it perfect for spreading generously across the top with an offset spatula. Using vanilla bean paste keeps it structured so it holds a thick, even layer, and the specks of vanilla throughout add a subtle depth that balances the strong, warming spices in the cake.

I made this for Christmas, and it was exactly what I hoped for: indulgent, festive, and packed with flavour. The spices are bold and warming, the cake is perfectly moist, and the buttercream adds just the right sweetness and creamy texture on top. It’s a cake that people notice, remember, and ask for again, the kind of dessert that makes you feel proud to put it on the table. Whether you’re baking for the holidays, a winter gathering, or simply craving a gingerbread cake that really delivers, this sheet cake hits every note.

Recipe:

Makes 1 9 x 13-inch tray

Notes

• This cake is to be eaten at room-temperature. You can store it in the fridge, which you will need to do due to the cream cheese frosting, if you’re not consuming the whole loaf in 1-2 days. Just be sure to take your portion out of the fridge early enough for it to come to room-temperature before enjoying (otherwise it won’t be soft, from the cold).

• I find that this cake is much better the day after it’s baked. It becomes more moist and flavourful overnight. If you're making this for somebody, an occasion, or just want to know for yourself when it will be at it’s prime, be mindful of this and make it the day before! It will remain equally delicious over the days following.

• I specify the type of salt used, as different salts are more or less salty than others. If you don’t have the same kind of salt used, be mindful of this and adjust accordingly. Generally speaking, pink Himalayan salt is less salty than most others.

• Top tip for room-temperature eggs: if ever you don’t have the time to take them out of the fridge early enough, or yet if you forget, you can place them in a bowl covered with hot water for 5 minutes, and they will become room-temperature just like that!

• If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, and don’t want to buy a whole container of it, a trick is to simply mix in some lemon juice into whole milk (although frankly, whatever percentage of milk you have at home will do). For this recipe, replace 1 of the tablespoons of milk with lemon juice. Therefore, replace the buttermilk with 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice. Just mix it together in a small bowl before mixing with the molasses, apple sauce, and vanilla.

• If you don't have vanilla bean paste for the buttercream, substitute 2 tsp pure vanilla extract.

Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients

• 225 g cake flour

• 3/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 + 1/8 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)

• 1 tbsp + 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp ground ginger

• 2 tsp ground cloves

• 1/2 + 1/8 tsp ground cardamom

• 1 + 1/4 tsp ground allspice

• 1/2 cup applesauce

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Organic blackstrap molasses

• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk, room temperature

• 2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

• 113 g unsalted butter, room temperature

• 170 g coconut oil (room-temperature—a.k.a. in solid form)

• 200 g brown sugar

• 2 eggs, room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and ensure that oven rack is positioned in the middle.

2. Butter and flour your baking tray.

3. Sift flour into a medium bowl. Add in baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Mix.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, applesauce, molasses, and vanilla extract.

5. In a large bowl, add butter, coconut oil, and brown sugar. Beat on high speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

6. Add eggs to butter-oil-sugar mixture, one at a time. Beat on high for 1 minute after each addition.

7. Add in dry ingredients and wet ingredients, alternating in additions; do 3 rounds of dry ingredients, and 2 rounds of wet ingredients. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Each addition should be fully combined on low speed. Do not over mix.

8. Pour batter into the loaf tin. Even out the top with the back of a spoon.

9. Place the gingerbread loaf in the oven, and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out virtually crumbless.

10. Let the loaf cool in its tin for 30 minutes, and then invert it onto a cooling rack or plate.

11. Allow it to cool completely.

12. It’s now ready to be frosted—recipe below!

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Buttercream

Ingredients

• 100 g unsalted butter, room-temperature

• 200 g cream cheese, room-temperature

• 475 g powdered sugar

• 1/2 + 1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)

• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
  

Instructions

1. Place butter and cream cheese in a large bowl, and beat on high speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes.

2. Sift in powdered sugar. Add in the salt. Beat on high for 3 more minutes.

3. Add in the vanilla bean paste. Beat on high for one 1 more minute.

4. Optional: Reduce to low speed, and mix for another 1-2 minutes (to reduce air bubbles).

5. Frost the gingerbread cake.

6. Enjoy! As mentioned in the notes, this loaf is to be eaten at room-temperature. You can store it in the fridge, which you will need to do due to the cream cheese frosting, if you’re not consuming it in 1-2 days. Just be sure to take your portion out of the fridge early enough for it to come to room-temperature before enjoying (otherwise it won’t be soft, from the cold).

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