frosted gingerbread cookie cake

Gingerbread Cookie Cake is a festive treat that’s as fun to make as it is to eat! My popular, chewy Gingerbread Cookies recipe is baked in a cake pan with colorful Christmas sprinkles until it’s perfectly soft-baked! Then, it’s topped with a silky maple cream cheese frosting and more sprinkles. Better make two – this is guaranteed to fly off plates!

this recipe

Why you’ll love this Gingerbread Cookie Cake:

• Delicious Gingerbread – This gingerbread is the perfect gingerbread recipe – it’s thick, chewy, and soft-baked. There’s plenty of gingerbread spice and molasses, too!
• Easy Recipe –This dessert comes together in no time – it takes just 10 minutes to mix up the dough, and bakes in 20 minutes.
• Fun to Decorate – Colorful Christmas sprinkles and little dollops of frosting add a festive flair while still being easy enough for any skill level to pull off!

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).

• Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
• Dark Brown Sugar – Use dark brown sugar for extra depth of flavor!
• Molasses – Find this in the baking aisle at your grocery store. Do NOT use blackstrap molasses! It’s not the same thing and will taste unpleasant. Do use full flavor molasses (the Brer Rabbit brand has mild flavor, full flavor, and blackstrap. I recommend the full flavor! If possible, get the Brer Rabbit full flavor and not the Grandma’s Molasses – it has a milder flavor and I just don’t like it as much).
• All-purpose flour – Spoon & level your flour for best results. Scooping the measuring cup directly in will lead to too much flour. Or use a scale, and weigh 130 grams of all-purpose flour per cup.
• Ginger – Ginger is, of course, a must in this recipe!
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a classic pairing with ginger.

Recipe Variations:

• Gluten-free – I have not tested a gluten-free version of this recipe but a few readers have reported success with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour.
• Dairy-free – I have not tested a dairy-free version of this recipe, but readers have reported success with dairy-free or vegan sticks of butter.
• Vegan – This recipe is naturally egg-free! So, just be sure to use dairy-free butter & cream cheese to easily make this recipe vegan.
• Cookies – If you want to make this recipe as individual cookies, see my Gingerbread Cookies recipe.

How to Make a Gingerbread Cookie Cake:

Step 1: Make the Dough: Cream together the butter & sugar. Then, add molasses and mix until well combined. Mix in the dry ingredients until a semi soft dough forms. Mix in your sprinkles last!

It will take a good minute or two of mixing for the dough to completely come together – so don’t fret if it seems a tad dry at first.

Step 2: Bake. Press the dough into a greased 9-inch springform pan (for easy release later). Add more sprinkles on top and bake as directed in the recipe card below.

Step 3: Cool. Let the cookie cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes before removing the sides. Let it cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Step 4: Make the Frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together softened butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and cream cheese.

Step 5: Decorate. Pipe the maple cream cheese frosting onto the cookie in any design you like. I used a small star tip. Add more sprinkles, too!

Serving + Storing:

Once frosted, slice and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-6 days. If you love gingerbread, you’ll love my Gingerbread Cake, too!

Expert Baking Tips:

• Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
• Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.

FAQs:

Special Tools:

• Springform Pan – A springform pan allows us to easily remove the cookie from the pan.
• Sprinkles – Use your favorite Christmas colored sprinkles!
• Piping Tip – Use a small star tip to make the frosting dollops.

More Gingerbread Recipes:

• Best Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
• Gingerbread Cake with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting & Cranberry Jam
• Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
• Gingerbread French Toast

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