Spiced Gingerbread Wreath Cake Recipe
This Spiced Gingerbread Wreath Cake is a festive and flavorful holiday dessert combining warm spices with moist gingerbread cake, topped with a creamy cinnamon buttercream. Perfect for Christmas celebrations, its elegant wreath shape and decorative touches make it a stunning centerpiece for any dessert table.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the Cinnamon Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a bundt or wreath cake pan thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agents.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a separate large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and brown sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which helps create a tender cake texture.
- Add eggs and molasses: Incorporate the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the molasses until fully combined for rich flavor and color.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry spice mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Start and end with the dry ingredients, mixing until just smooth to avoid overworking the batter.
- Pour and bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes to set, then carefully transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare cinnamon buttercream: Beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and ground cinnamon, mixing thoroughly. Add heavy cream and vanilla extract, then beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Decorate the cake: Pipe buttercream rosettes around the top of the cooled cake to create an elegant wreath design. Garnish with mini gingerbread cookies, sugared cranberries, and holly leaves for a festive presentation. Lightly dust with powdered sugar for a snowy effect and place on a cake stand to showcase its beauty.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for best mixing results.
- You can substitute buttermilk with whole milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar if needed.
- For a deeper molasses flavor, consider using dark molasses.
- Decorations such as sugared cranberries can be made ahead of time.
- If you don’t have a bundt pan, a tube pan or a springform pan can be used but shape will vary.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
Keywords: gingerbread cake, spiced cake, holiday cake, Christmas cake, cinnamon buttercream, festive dessert, molasses cake
Find it online: https://bakedbylisa.com/spiced-gingerbread-wreath-cake-recipe/
