Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

An easy, festive holiday dessert! A moist and perfectly spiced gluten-free gingerbread cake topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting (option for maple cream cheese frosting) and sprinkles to be extra festive! Simple and delicious! Bonus: super quick and easy recipe!

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake cream cheese frosting easy recipe www.healthygffamily.com
Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Easy, Delicious and Festive!

Is there a more classic holiday dessert than gingerbread cake? This Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cake with cream cheese frosting is sure to sprinkle some holiday cheer!

The gingerbread cake is soft, moist and just the right amount of crumbly (ie, not dense!) and perfectly spiced.

Topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting (option for a maple cream cheese frosting) and sprinkles, it is festive and beyond yummy!

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake cream cheese frosting easy recipe www.healthygffamily.com

And it is a super quick and easy recipe!

There is a cooking video on this page so you can see how quick and easy it is to make!

As with all our recipes, there is a printable recipe at the bottom of the page with exact measurements and directions.

So let’s make it!

Here’s what you need for the cake:

(The list looks long but it’s mostly spices and mainly ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.)

gluten-free all purpose flour with xanthan gum (we use GFJules – affiliate link)

baking soda

baking powder

salt

ground ginger

ground cinnamon

nutmeg

cloves

pepper

brown sugar

eggs

butter or dairy-free butter

unsulphured molasses

vanilla extract (not shown in photo)

buttermilk

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake cream cheese frosting easy recipe www.healthygffamily.com

In case you’re new here, you should know we are huge fans of GF Jules flour (affiliate link) because it was the first gluten-free flour we discovered when my son was first diagnosed with celiac disease (over 9 years ago) that allowed us to make our favorite gluten-based recipes by simply substituting the flour.  We never looked back.

So you may have noticed that we are now an affiliate for GFJules.  To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, click here.

Bonus: at the bottom of that post is a one-time use affiliate Discount Code.

Back to the Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cake…

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake cream cheese frosting easy recipe www.healthygffamily.com

The cake comes together super quickly in just 2 simple steps!

  1. Whisk together all the dry ingredients until there are no clumps in the brown sugar
  2. Add the wet ingredients– including melted and cooled butter– and mix.

That’s it!

Then pour into a prepared baking pan and bake for just 20 minutes!

You will notice I used the 1/2 baking sheet size (approximately 9.5 x14.5). We love this size so much because it makes just the right quantity to feed a small group and it gives a great cake to frosting ratio!

Bonus: your kitchen will smell amazing while it bakes!

To make sure the cake it done, you can stick a toothpick in the center and make sure it comes out clean, but you will also see that it pulls away from the edges.

Let’s cool and frost it!

For the frosting, I used our favorite cream cheese frosting (from our Pumpkin Sheet Cake recipe) and there’s an option to add maple syrup for a slightly sweeter, maple flavor.

Both are yummy but personally, I love the basic cream cheese frosting.

All you need is:

cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese

butter or dairy-free butter

confectioners (also known as powdered) sugar

vanilla extract

maple syrup (optional)

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake cream cheese frosting easy recipe www.healthygffamily.com

Make sure the cream cheese and butter are softened and mix well until creamy and luscious!

It couldn’t be simpler!

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake cream cheese frosting easy recipe www.healthygffamily.com

Then frost the cake!

The frosting is creamy and spreads easily and beautifully.

Add sprinkles or decorate as desired to be extra festive and enjoy!

My taste testers have all be going crazy for this cake so I hope you love it as much as they do!

The texture is amazing — soft, fluffy and moist. And the cake has a perfect gingerbread flavor.

Topped with the yummy frosting, it’s a perfect holiday dessert!

For more Holiday Baking ideas, click here.

For more sheet cakes, have you tried out:

Chocolate Sheet Cake with chocolate frosting

Chocolate Sheet Cake with vanilla frosting

Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

PIN it!

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake cream cheese frosting www.healthygffamily.com

Scroll down for recipe and leave a comment/ rating if you make it.

Recipe

 

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake cream cheese frosting easy recipe www.healthygffamily.com
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5 from 1 vote

Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

An easy, festive holiday dessert! A moist and perfectly spiced gluten-free gingerbread cake topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting (option for maple cream cheese frosting) and topped with sprinkles to be extra festive! Simple and delicious!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert, Holidays
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Optional, Nut-Free
Servings: 15 -20 slices
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups gluten -free all purpose flour with xanthan gum we used GFJules - affiliate link
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • large pinch cloves
  • large pinch black pepper
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
  • 3/4 cup butter melted and cooled to approximately 110 degrees F
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsulphered molasses
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk to make: add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk of choice to make 1 cup total; let sit 10 minutes

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 oz cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese room temperature
  • 1/4 cup 1/2 stick butter or dairy-free butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 lb powdered sugar approximately a scant 2 cups
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup optional, for a slightly sweeter, maple flavor

Instructions

Gingerbread Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a half-size rimmed baking sheet (approximately 9.5 x 14.5)
  • If you haven't already, melt the butter and set aside to cool.
  • In large mixing bowl (I use the bowl of my stand mixer) add all the dry ingredients -- all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, and brown sugar -- and using a pastry cutter or whisk mix very well to combine and make sure the brown sugar has no clumps.
  • Add eggs, molasses, melted & cooled butter, vanilla and buttermilk to the dry ingredients and using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer mix to combine. Scrape down the sides as needed, then mix on medium speed for 1 minute.
  • Pour into prepared baking sheet, spread evenly and bake 20 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes our clean. The edges will also start pulling away from the pan.
  • Let cool completely before frosting. Can be made a day ahead, leave out at room temperature, loosely covered with wax paper.
  • Frost using an icing spatula, small spatula or small knife or the back-side of a spoon... spread on a thick layer and gently spread evenly across the cake being careful to keep a thick enough layer so you don't "pick up" the top of the cake while frosting.
  • After frosting, serve as is, top with sprinkles or decorate as desired.
  • Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Cream all ingredients together and spread on cake once cake is baked and cooled.
Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyGFFamily or tag #HealthyGFFamily!

 

2 thoughts on “Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. 5 stars
    I made this cake for Christmas Day and it was a huge hit with everyone. I still have some left over and it’s still super moist. I’m usually not a huge fan of gingerbread but this cake is outstanding! It will definitely be an annual Christmas dessert!

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