Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake:

• 2 & 3/4 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
• 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 & 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 1 cup full-fat buttermilk* DIY recipe in notes

Coffee Buttercream:

• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder or espresso powder
• 3 tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 7 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Decorations:

• gingerbread man cookies or marshmallows
• white chocolate ganache drip
• holiday sprinkles

Instructions

Make the Gingerbread Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and a parchment or wax paper circle fitted to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too), cream the butter on medium-high for two minutes. Add in the white and brown sugars and cream on medium-high for another two minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and molasses, turn the mixer to high, and beat for one full minute.

With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture in 3 portions and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. Batter will be thick, but pourable.

Pour the batter into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 30-35 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make the Coffee Buttercream:

Combine the instant coffee powder (or espresso powder) with the whole milk and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on med-high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down the bowl and paddle a few times in between.

Add powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle between intervals. Then add the vanilla, the coffee/espresso milk mixture, and salt. Mix on low until fully incorporated, about one minute.

Assembly:

Once the Gingerbread Cakes have cooled completely, level each layer to your desired height. Place the bottom layer on a cake board and fill and crumb coat the cake layers with Coffee Buttercream. Place the crumb coated cake into the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to firm up before moving on.

To create the cake design pictured, frost a smooth layer of Coffee Buttercream around the cake and place it back into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, then create drips on half of the cake with White Chocolate Ganache.

Fit one piping bag with Wilton tip 1M, a second piping bag with Wilton tip 4B, and a third with Wilton tip 32. Divide the remaining Coffee Buttercream amongst the three bags. Pipe rosettes with Wilton tip 1M in a diagonal direction up the side of the cake, continuing halfway around the top rim. Place gingerbread men marshmallows decoratively between the rosettes. Pipe stars with Wilton tips 4B and 32 around the rosettes and marshmallows, continuing up the side of the cake and halfway around the top edge. Finish the look with Holiday sprinkles.

Chef’s Notes:

DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.

Make Ahead Tips:

The Gingerbread Cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature.

The Coffee Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency.

Recipe by Sugar & Sparrow