Gingerbread Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
This spectacular Gingerbread Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting is a beautiful and delicious way to celebrate the holidays. The moist cake layers have a luscious gingerbread flavor and are enrobed in a coconut-flavored cream cheese frosting. Cover it in flaked coconut and add some decorations and you have a holiday masterpiece!
The gingerbread cake is a traditional combination of molasses, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves combined with dark brown sugar and molasses to give it that wintery yummy flavor. Buttermilk keeps the cake moist and tender.
The cream cheese frosting, which is mildly flavored with coconut, is the perfect complement to the richly flavored gingerbread cake.
To make the cake layers, whisk together all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder & soda, and spices). Then, cream together the butter and brown sugar until it’s fluffy.
Add the molasses, corn syrup, vanilla and eggs and beat until combined.
Finally add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk and divide the batter between the baking pans.
Once the cake layers are baked and cooled, frost them with the coconut cream cheese frosting, which is made by combining the cream cheese and butter until smooth and adding in the powdered sugar, extracts and milk.
Place a small layer of frosting between layers and then frost the sides and top of the cake. Press sweetened coconut flakes onto the sides and top and add the decorations, if you like.
For the decorations, go to the Gingerbread Cookies recipe.
The delight that will shine on the faces of the lucky friends or family to be served this fanciful cake will warm your heart!
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Gingerbread Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes: 10-12 slices
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours & 15 minutes
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake:
- 3 & 1/4 cups (430g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2/3 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temp
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Decorations:
- Gingerbread cookies (use recipe for gingerbread cupcake garnishes)
- Rosemary sprigs
- Sugar-coated cranberries
Instructions
Gingerbread Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the inside and line the bottom of 3 8″ round cake pans. Also wrap the pans with damp cake strips if you have them.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until smooth. Then mix in the molasses and corn syrup, followed by the vanilla and eggs one at a time.
Pour in 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix, followed by half of the buttermilk. Alternative mixing between the two, ending on the dry ingredients. The batter should be pretty thick.
Evenly split the batter between the three pans and spread even. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Allow the cakes to cool completely before making the frosting.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Mix in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Mix in the extracts and milk when the frosting starts to become thick and dry.
Spread a thin layer of frosting between each cake layer and then cover the entire outside. Press the shredded coconut into the sides and top of the cake and top with your decorations. Enjoy!
Recipe from Butternut Bakery
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