Gingerbread Cake (Recipe Inspired by N0S4A2)

There’s nothing like a festive Gingerbread Cake to give you all the Christmas feels.

Except maybe several Gingerbread Cakes. 

Why is Gingerbread Cake the book-inspired recipe for N0S4A2?

I had to make Gingerbread Cake as the book-inspired recipe for N0S4A2. Had to.

Remember that creepy guy Bing in the book? Yeah… he uses gingerbread-scented sevoflurane to gas his victims.

Yes, that’s a morbid connection, but aren’t you used to that from me by now? C’mon.

Let’s try to forget about the “book-inspired” part of this post and just focus on the “recipe” for this delicious holiday dessert.

A time-honored holiday classic

If you invited me to a holiday shindig between 2007 – 2010, there’s a pretty solid chance Gingerbread Cake would be in tow.

My baking repertoire was a little limited when I first started baking, and these mini Bundt cakes were a go-to dessert since they were super simple to make but looked really fancy for parties.

Over the years, the Gingerbread Cake recipe got pushed to the back of my “baking binder” (where I keep print outs of all my regularly used recipes), and I’m so glad that this post gave me the chance to trot it out again.

When I baked the Gingerbread Cakes for this post, it was probably the first time I’d made this recipe in, oh…ten years? Maybe more.

It had been so long that I’d actually forgotten how tasty they are.

I was quickly reminded after scarfing down 2.5 cakes over the course of my photo shoot. YUM. #fattiesgonnabefat

Why I love these Gingerbread Cakes

Gingerbread Cake is the perfect Christmas dessert. Unlike most variations of this recipe, which can be dense and heavy, these little cakes are incredibly light and airy.

They’re full of seasonal molasses flavor with a blend of traditional gingerbread spices.

The sponge is so moist and delicate that it tears really easily — so make sure you lather up your baking tins, people!

While you have to handle these baked goods a little gingerly (get it? get it??), they’re a welcome addition to your holiday dessert table since they’re perfect after an enormous Christmas dinner.

Let’s talk about decorating the Gingerbread Cake: I’m crazy about those old timey Christmas figgy puddings coated in the thick, white glaze and topped with holly.

However, I don’t think I actually want to eat figgy pudding. So, I baked the Gingerbread Cakes in mini Bundt cake pans, then poured snow white icing over them and dotted them with the most adorable holly sprinkles.

And, ta-daaaa!! The Gingerbread Cakes look like a dessert you’d see in a Victorian bakery window. You can’t get much more Christmassy than that.

What do you serve with Gingerbread Cake?

These mini gingerbread cakes would look wonderful on your Christmas/holiday dessert table beside an Almond Kentucky Butter Cake, Pfeffernusse Sugar Cookies with Marbled Icing, Christmas Spice Brownies, and Cinnamon Roll Cake. 

Gingerbread Cakes

These Gingerbread Cakes are perfectly spiced and lighter-than-air with thick white icing and sprinkles to make your holiday table bright.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 12 mini bundt cakes

Ingredients

  

GINGERBREAD CAKE INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 eggs, beaten (at room temperature)

ICING INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp milk

Instructions

 

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Spray two, 6-cavity mini bundt cake pans with baking spray and place on baking sheets. Set aside.
• Bring one cup of water to a boil, then turn off heat and set aside.

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS

• Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined, then set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar together with a handmixer until light anf fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat the molasses into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined.
• Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the wet.
• Reheat the water to get it boiling again, then carefully pour 1 cup of boiling water into a small bowl. Add the baking soda and whisk lightly to dissolve.
• Use a wooden spoon or spatula to carefully fold the baking soda water into the gingerbread cake batter until completely combined.
• Fill each prepared bundt cake pan cavity about halfway full; you should have enough batter for 12 mini gingerbread cakes.
• Bake gingerbread cakes at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
• Remove cakes from oven and place the pans on a wire rack. Let the cakes cool completely in the baking pans, then carefully remove them to a cooling rack or platter.

ICING INSTRUCTIONS

• Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until completely combined. You want the icing to be thick but still pourable. Let sit 30 minutes.
• Pour icing over completey cooled gingerbread cakes and, if desired, decorate with festive sprinkles.