Gingerbread Cake with Orange Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Old fashioned Gingerbread Cake has been a staple on Christmas tables for generations! It is light, fluffy and warmly spiced for an easy and delicious dessert recipe. With a delightful orange vanilla buttercream frosting to give it a very special burst of flavor, this cake is a wonderfully festive addition to any Holiday table! This cake is another level tasty, and then you add the adorable whimsical trees dusted with “snow” and the sugared cranberries iced over - If I could shrink myself down and run around this wintery forest wonderland I’d be a happy camper. Oh the places my mind goes when I see something special like this. ;)

This cake is incredibly easy to make! You could even skip the frosting and just sprinkle it with powdered sugar for a simple breakfast cake with your coffee.

I saw some cakes this season with greens and sugared cranberries that made my eyes sparkle with Christmas joy. That gave me the idea to make this cake. The actual gingerbread cake (just the cake alone) recipe is from The Seasoned Mom. I decided to make the cake my own. I did a little less ginger and cloves. I doubled the recipe to make 2 - 9” cakes and added the orange vanilla buttercream frosting and the pretty winter scene.

Ahhh cloves and cinnamon, what a heavenly smell! While gingerbread is often made with molasses, it can also be sweetened with sugar or honey, which I prefer. I love baking cakes mostly with brown sugar if I can. The flavor is special. The dark brown sugar helps gives the cake that beautiful brown gingerbread look.

TIP: After melting the milk and butter and the brown sugar is whisked in, a big tip that I’d like to highlight is to let this butter mixture cool before adding the egg to it. You do not want it to be too hot and the egg scrambles, lol.

The original recipe for the frosting that I use the classic and all time favorite Betty Crocker Buttercream Frosting recipe. I added 1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice and zest to give it a fresh flavor.

For the trees I just cut fresh rosemary sticks and placed them upside down on the cake. I sprinkled them with powdered sugar for the “snow”. I also added some “fresh” frozen cranberries that I rolled in sugar for a beautiful icy Christmas winter look. I laid extra rosemary and berries around the base of the cake to look almost like a wreath, then sprinkled powdered sugar of course for a snowy wonderland.

Directions:

Ingredients (Cake) (Makes 1 8inch pan - Double cake recipe for 2 9” cakes)

½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
¾ cup milk
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Optional, for serving: powdered sugar; whipped cream

Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar
1/3cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1-2 Tbspn Milk
1Tbspn Fresh squeezed orange juice and some zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan OR if doubling recipe spray 2 - 9” cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with cooking spray as well, and then set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter and milk. Heat over medium-high, just until the butter is melted and bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
Stir the egg into the cooled butter mixture.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the butter mixture. Stir just until a smooth batter forms, being careful not to over-mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting, slicing and serving.
Frost the cake generously on top and side using a spatula or butter knife and be sure to use a clean scraping motion to give the sides a clean and rustic look.
Add little fresh rosemary trees and sugared cranberries and dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Notes

Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Stir just until combined, but no more. Over-mixing the batter can cause the cake to become tough and dry.
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.
To extend the life of your cake, you can freeze the gingerbread (before adding any powdered sugar, whipped cream or glaze) for up to 3 months.
Make sure that you allow the butter mixture to cool sufficiently before adding the egg (or you'll end up with a scrambled egg!).
I do not recommend substituting light brown sugar for the dark brown sugar in this recipe. While the two are normally interchangeable in most recipes, the brown sugar gives this gingerbread the classic color and rich taste that you expect (and it's especially important since you're not using molasses).
For more topping options, Top the gingerbread with any of the following delicious options:
- A dusting of powdered sugar
- A dollop of whipped cream (add grated lemon peel to the whipped cream for a bright, fresh touch)
- A lemon glaze made with powdered sugar, milk and fresh lemon juice
- Cream cheese frosting (we love this recipe)
- Lemon sauce (like the one in this recipe)